Shakur Stevenson Eyes Gary Russell Unification After Pacquiao Falls Through

Shakur Stevenson's next move just got a lot more interesting. The undefeated WBO super-lightweight champion, 25-0 with 11 knockouts, is back in negotiations for a unification bout with WBA titlist Gary Antuanne Russell — a fight that looked dead not long ago. Stevenson, who became a four-division world champion in January with a wide unanimous decision over Teofimo Lopez, has yet to confirm a date, venue or opponent since signing with Dana White's Zuffa Boxing.

The catalyst here is what fell apart. Stevenson was reportedly lined up to face Manny Pacquiao on December 11, slotted onto the Tyson Fury–Anthony Joshua undercard at Cardiff's Principality Stadium. With that plan apparently off the table, the American has circled back to Russell, the 19-1 (17 KO) banger who's defended his WBA strap exactly once since winning it.

The Money Problem

Russell has spent weeks being painted as the guy dodging the biggest payday available to him. He's not having it. Taking to social media, Russell pushed back hard, saying he isn't ducking anyone and that the offers on the table amount to a lowball. His argument is simple: don't underpay a champion and then frame his hesitation as fear.

For his part, Stevenson has publicly called Russell a "real one" and acknowledged that Russell has made clear he isn't scared of the matchup. That's the rare bit of mutual respect that usually greases a deal — assuming the purse figures move toward where Russell wants them.

What Russell Brings

Stylistically, this is a genuine contrast. Stevenson is the slick, defensively miserly technician whose last three wins — including the Lopez decision — have gone the distance, hence those 11 KOs in 25 fights. Russell is the opposite animal: 17 of his 19 wins have come inside the distance, an 89% finish rate, built behind a southpaw stance and real one-shot power.

Russell claimed the WBA belt by outpointing Jose Valenzuela, then defended it with a unanimous-decision win over #10-ranked Andy Hiraoka (24-1) earlier this year. If the numbers get sorted, a WBO-WBA unification at 140 is the kind of fight that sells itself — puncher versus matrix, two Americans, two belts. The only thing standing in the way is a figure on a contract.