The days of Shakur Stevenson squeezing his ever-growing physique to the 130-pound limit are officially behind him. , Robson announced that he will now fight as a full-fledged lightweight, following his impressive performance against Conceicao.
The former Olympic silver medalist would rather face Devin Haney, the undisputed champion of the lightweight division, but Vasily Lomachenko is in danger of landing in that very next bout.
Meanwhile, Stevenson (19-0, 9 KOs) is looking to solidify himself as the next big contender. To realize his championship dream, the WBC’s sanctioning body ordered the former champion to participate in the title eliminator. Stevenson intends to try, but he has been unable to find a suitable dance partner.
With countless big-name candidates choosing not to recruit him, Stevenson may finally find himself standing on the other side of the ring from Jamaine Ortiz. Stevenson, who has watched him closely for years, admits he has nothing but respect.
“I give him credit,” Stevenson said in an interview with Ringside Views. “Amateur, he fought anyone.”
As a pro so far, Ortiz has taken on all-comers. After picking up an upset victory over former 130-pounder Djamel Herring, Ortiz tied the win to his showdown with Vasily Lomachenko.
Ortiz (16-1-1, 8 KOs) was nailed down as a key underdog that night. At times, he used angles and high work rates to confuse and embarrass the Ukrainian star to win some clear rounds. The 26-year-old was confident he had done more than enough to secure his victory, but was ultimately left disheartened as Lomachenko won by a rather wide unanimous decision.
With Ortiz’s next appearance in the ring becoming clear, Stevenson believes his American rival is being viewed a little differently. However, we believe that Lomachenko’s overall skill set is not overwhelming, leading to a misunderstanding of Ortiz’s abilities.
Ortiz’s Stevenson said, “He’s not good. He’s tough. He might have looked a little better to Lomachenko, but that’s because Lomachenko’s skills are limited.”