O'Shaquie Foster Says Shakur Stevenson Is Ducking Him: 'I Make Him Nervous'

Shakur Stevenson became a four-division world champion in January by outclassing Teofimo Lopez, and he hasn't fought since. That inactivity is now the ammunition O'Shaquie Foster is loading up with, as the WBC super-featherweight champion claims Stevenson is dodging him ahead of his Zuffa Boxing debut.

Foster's case is simple: he says he never heard back after their May face-off, which came moments after he beat Raymond Ford — the exact condition Stevenson set for a shot. Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Foster argued that Stevenson doesn't want to risk the 'gravy train' and would rather pick a softer path elsewhere.

The history angle is what makes this one sting. Foster says the two lived together in Virginia and sparred long before either was a champion, and that Stevenson has a book on everyone he's fought or wants to fight — everyone except him. That, Foster reckons, is the real reason talks went cold. He put it bluntly: he makes Stevenson nervous.

The Foster Detour

Rather than wait, Foster has taken a genuinely dangerous assignment. On October 24 he unifies against Emanuel Navarrete, the IBF and WBO 130lb champion who's 40-2-1 with 33 knockouts and coming off an 11th-round stoppage of Eduardo Núñez. That's a three-belt collision, and Foster insists the Stevenson chase resumes the second he handles it.

In other words, Foster is prioritizing the pound-for-pound name over becoming undisputed at super-featherweight — a telling read on how he values the Stevenson brand. The remaining 130lb belt is elsewhere anyway: Anthony Cacace (25-1, 9 KO) defends his WBA strap against Nick Ball on December 19.

Where Stevenson Actually Lands

The names orbiting Stevenson have been plenty — Devin Haney, who's 33-0 as WBO welterweight champion, plus Conor Benn, Ford and Foster. But the likeliest booking looks nothing like a marquee grudge match. Raymond Muratalla recently vacated his lightweight title after talks about jumping to 140 to face Stevenson, and that pairing is trending as the frontrunner.

So Foster's jab lands with some weight. Until Stevenson signs a name, the ducking accusation writes itself. Whether Foster gets his answer depends first on surviving Navarrete on October 24 — and if he does, he's promised to come collecting.