Juan Manuel Marquez Has Only One Piece of Advice for “Boring” Shakur Stevenson

WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson hasn’t been having the best time in boxing. Since his fight against Edwin De Los Santos last year, the Newark native has come under a flood of criticism for his boring fighting style, which many claim doesn’t fill seats. And now, adding to the pile of criticism, former three-division champion Juan Manuel Marquez has shared his thoughts on the young fighter. 

Stevenson is coming off a unanimous decision win over Artem Harutyunyan in July this year. While Stevenson took more of an initiative to end the fight early this time around, the fight largely remained the same as before, attracting more, you guessed it, criticism. However, it seems the Mexican boxing veteran has some vital advice for the 27-year-old to switch the narrative in his favor. 

Juan Manuel Marquez has the perfect opponent in mind for Shakur Stevenson

Speaking to the former world champion, Marcos Villegas from Fight Hub TV asked him about his thoughts on Stevenson’s fighting style, highlighting the backlash he has been receiving. In response, the 50-year-old praised Stevenson as a boxer but didn’t shy away from speaking his mind. “He makes boring fights. I don’t know why,” Marquez said bluntly. 

Speculating about why Stevenson prefers to approach his fights safely and strategically, Marquez suggested Stevenson might need a high-level opponent to bring out the fight in him. He especially highlighted Stevenson’s clash against De Santos, again branding the whole thing “boring.” Regardless, he had a bit of advice to clear his name once and for all. 

“I think I would like to see Shakur Stevenson against William Zepeda,” Marquez said. It’s worth mentioning that even Stevenson has expressed his desire to face knockout artist William Zepeda, which was initially proving difficult to make because of Zepeda’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya. But after His Excellency Turki Alalshikh looked into the fight, the fight now appears possible, especially because of Oscar and Riyadh Season’s partnership.

Nonetheless, Marquez continued, “He has [a] good style for Shakur Stevenson… I think Stevenson needs that kind of boxing style.” And guess what? Marquez isn’t alone in endorsing Zepeda as the next opponent for Stevenson—even an English promoter feels Zepeda is the key to bigger fights for Stevenson.

Eddie Hearn lays out a plan for Stevenson to eventually fight Gervonta Davis

Eddie Hearn has outlined a potential roadmap for Shakur Stevenson to eventually face WBA lightweight champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis in a mega-fight, possibly in 2025. Currently a free agent, Stevenson is in talks with several promotions, including Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing. Hearn is hopeful of signing Stevenson and sees a path leading to a showdown with Davis.

In an interview with Cigar Talk, Hearn emphasized the strategic steps needed, suggesting, “If I’m Shakur, I chase the [William Zepeda] fight. I keep building my brand into the ‘Tank’ fight next year.” He also noted that Davis’ options are limited, potentially pushing him to move up to 140 pounds. Hearn believes the Davis-Stevenson bout is one of the best possible matchups in boxing, saying, “That’s a big fight when it happens.” The boxing world is eager to see this clash of champions materialize.

Despite what people claim were two disappointing bouts, Shakur Stevenson now has the opportunity to prove his critics wrong by defeating William Zepeda if and when the fight gets made. But is it really fair to call Stevenson’s fighting style boring? What is your take on the matter? Let us know in the comments below.