William Zepeda Oust from Gervonta Davis Rat Race as Shakur Stevenson vs. Joe Cordina Agreed, Date and Venue Revealed

It seems Shakur Stevenson finally has a name. The American boxer went on a shopping spree to find his next opponent and screened the top names on his list. But it resulted in a failed endeavor. It has come down to picking another fighter who is coming off a loss, and this time the name is Joe Cordina. So, when and where do the two fight for the WBC lightweight crown?

Stevenson, 27, was chasing Gerovnta Davis for a while after he racked up a win against Artem Harutyunyan, evoking their history and past verbal tussles. But ‘Tank’ didn’t budge, as the reputation of ‘Sugar’ has taken a hit since the lackluster fight against Edwin De Los Santos. While it was imperative that Stevenson needed a splendid performance, he turned in another similar display, racking up another decision win, without exciting action.

That also put the 22-0 record holder’s fight with his WBC mandatory, William Zepeda, in jeopardy, as Oscar De La Hoya didn’t want his most explosive fighter to fight a skilled technician yet. Amid the potential suitors dropping out, Eddie Hearn pushed for Cordina, 32, and it seems it will be him who will offer Stevenson another shot at redemption.

Julius Julianis reported that Stevenson signed a one-fight deal with Matchroom Boxing to fight Cordina, at 17-1. He also pointed out that the Newark native wanted to be a free agent so that he could negotiate a fight with Davis in 2025. His X post read, “Shakur Stevenson vs Joe Cordina has been agreed to fight on October 12th at #BeterbievBivol in Saudi Arabia. [translated]”

The fight will take place on October 12 on the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol undercard in Saudi Arabia. It also ensures Stevenson will leave the arena with heavy money bags. But interestingly, the WBC champion hasn’t committed himself to a long-term deal with any of the promoters, as he looks to fight bigger names.

Shakur Stevenson: short stints with promotions or embracing the free agent tag?

The lightweight boxer left Top Rank, and since then he has embraced his free agent tag, trying to see what suits him better, taking it one fight at a time. He told All the Smoke Fight, “I just want to be in front of the names. I want to be in front of the guys that they think is that good so I can show what level that I am on. So whatever situation puts me in the biggest and best fights, I’m down with it.”

It seems the fight in Saudi Arabia might help rejuvenate Stevenson’s career, as hundreds of thousands of eyes will be on the card. It gives him another opportunity to fix what he couldn’t in his last fight.

What do you make of this coming fight between Shakur Stevenson and Joe Cordina? Do you believe fighting in Saudi Arabia will boost his popularity? Let us know in the comments below.