LAS VEGAS — Shakur Stevenson is back in negotiations for a high-profile unification bout against WBA champion Gary Antuanne Russell. The discussions follow the reported collapse of a potential December 11 matchup between Stevenson and Manny Pacquiao, which had been slated for the undercard of Tyson Fury vs. Anthony Joshua at Principality Stadium in Cardiff.
Stevenson, who became a four-division world champion in January after a unanimous decision victory over Teofimo Lopez, is currently navigating his next career move under a new promotional deal with Zuffa Boxing. While his next opponent and venue remain unconfirmed, the focus has shifted toward a potential meeting with Russell, who secured his WBA super-lightweight title by defeating Jose Valenzuela and subsequently defended it against Andy Hiraoka.
Russell addressed recent accusations that he was avoiding the fight, citing financial disagreements rather than a lack of willingness to face Stevenson. “Shakur knows for a fact that we ain’t ducking nothing,” Russell stated on social media. “How y’all gonna lowball and then classify that as me ducking? Shakur know how I’m coming and he already told the world I ain’t scared of nothing.”
In response, Stevenson acknowledged the WBA champion’s stance, referring to Russell as a “real one” on social media. Should the two parties reach an agreement, the proposed WBO and WBA unification bout is expected to draw significant interest from the boxing community.