In the world of boxing, Shakur Stevenson, hailed as one of the next great pound-for-pound fighters of the modern era had met his toughest opponent yet - activity. Frustration surrounded Stevenson as a string of opponents walked away from the chance to fight for the vacant WBC lightweight world title.
Yet as of today, the Dominican puncher Edwin De Los Santos has finally been announced as Stevenson's opponent for the Top Rank Inc. show on Thursday, Nov. 16, at the iconic T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, for the vacant WBC lightweight world title. Additionally, the co-feature will see Mexico’s Emanuel “Vaquero” Navarrete defending his WBO junior lightweight title against Brazilian two-time world title challenger Robson Conceição. One might also wonder if the inclusion of Navarrete might also signal a 2024 fight against Stevenson.
“Edwin De Los Santos is a good fighter and he’s going to come to fight," said Stevenson." I give him credit for actually taking this fight when so many other so-called ‘fighters’ ran from it. I’m the biggest boogeyman in boxing, and on November 16, the world will see why when I put on another great performance for the fans. Come out to T-Mobile Arena or tune in to ESPN and watch me become a three-division world champion.”
Shakur Stevenson, the skilled pugilist from Newark, New Jersey, is an Olympic silver medalist in 2016, who held the WBO featherweight world championship in 2019, followed by the WBO junior lightweight title and the WBC strap in subsequent years. Stevenson is now aiming to become a four-time world champion in three different weight classes.
“This is a huge week for Las Vegas and a tremendous platform for Shakur Stevenson to show, once again, why he is well on his way to reigning as the sport’s pound-for-pound king,” said Top Rank chairman Bob Arum. “Many fighters turned down the opportunity, but Edwin De Los Santos eagerly accepted. Emanuel Navarrete and Robson Conceição fighting for supremacy at 130 pounds adds to a spectacular card that is loaded from top to bottom.”
His opponent, Edwin De Los Santos, a hard-hitting southpaw from the Dominican Republic, is best known for knocking out Jose Valenzuela in a shocking upset. De Los Santos also had recently defeated former Top Rank fighter, Joseph Adorno.
The undercard bouts will be as follows, a welterweight fight between Undefeated standouts Brian Norman Jr. and Quinton Randall, which will be scheduled for ten rounds, a junior welterweight contest between Floyd “Cashflow” Diaz and Max Ornelas, which is scheduled for eight rounds, U.S Olympian, Troy Isley will put his perfect record on the line in an eight-round fight against Vladimir Hernandez, lightweight Abdullah Mason will take on Jose Cardenas, super featherweight contender Andres Cortes will face veteran Freddy Fonseca in a ten round fight and opening the card will be Kazakh Olympian Ablaikhan Zhussupov in a welterweight clash against Mark Dawson.
