NEWS: SHAKUR STEVENSON HOPEFUL TO FACE GEORGE KAMBOSOS, JOSEPH DIAZ WILLING TO STEP IN (UPDATED)
By: Jay Calderon
(Update: According to Shakur Stevenson via his Twitter account, George Kambosos and his team have rejected the fight offer and the former has elected to pursue another opponent.)
Recently, Marcos Villegas of FightHubTV spoke with former world Jr. Lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson, and discussed his potential 135 pound debut in 2023.
Currently, the talented American isn't scheduled to face anyone just yet, as he has struggled to find an interesting opponent willing to take on the challenge. This was first realized when Mexican Isaac Cruz and his team stated they weren't likely to pursue a showdown, even after the WBC had ordered the contest as a final eliminator.
Stevenson expressed frustration with so many willing to avoid a contest with him, and mentioned undefeated William Zepeda in the process. While Zepeda himself suggested he was more than willing, his promoter Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions felt as though the fight needed time to build.
Now, according to Stevenson, the man he may next step into the ring with is former world champion George Kambosos. The Australian captured the 135 pound title after defeating Teofimo Lopez back in November 2021, before losing his title to Devin Haney in June of this year. Now, after losing the return bout with Haney, Kambosos could be seeking a major fight in which to return.
Stevenson believes the Aussie will be willing to take the chance against him in the early portion of next year, explaining that there shouldn't be much stopping Kambosos.
"I don't think Kambosos got [anything] to lose," Stevenson explained. "I think he'll definitely be the first person to take the fight. He's tough, he didn't mind fighting Teo, he didn't mind fighting Devin, so I don't think he'll back down from a challenge."
To be truthful, it could be a very interesting and doable fight. For starters, both work closely with Top Rank Promotions, so making the fight shouldn't get hung up due to contractual conflicts. Also, it's just about the perfect time for both to take on the other.
For Stevenson, Kambosos represents a solid test, but a fighter he should beat. It also provides Stevenson with a chance to prove what he can do against a man other top names in the division has faced.
And with Kambosos, you have a fighter that needs a big win to remain relevant in the division. While Stevenson is a tough cookie to crack, Kambosos could have his best chance by catching Stevenson moving up and debuting at the weight.
While an interesting fight, if it's unable to materialize, we might not be out of luck. When the interview of Stevenson claiming Kambosos may be next was shared on Twitter, Rick Mirigian, the manager of former titlist Joseph Diaz, claimed his charge was willing to take on Stevenson.
"If [Kambosos], Joseph Diaz will step up," Mirigian tweeted. Diaz also retweeted the message, for what that's worth.
To be fair, either fight would be solid, especially when some of the other names at 135 pounds don't seem all that interested in facing Shakur thus far. Diaz, win or lose, will at least force a fight and make Stevenson work in his opening clash at Lightweight.
It remains to be seen how difficult a Stevenson-Diaz fight is to make, considering it would mean Top Rank (Stevenson) and Golden Boy (Diaz) would have to come together and make a deal.
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