Shakur Stevenson will be out of action for a while now. He has pulled out of his scheduled fight with Joe Cordina, which was supposed to be the co-main event for the Dmitry Bivol vs. Artur Beterbiev undisputed clash on October 12. The setback following a right-hand injury rules Stevenson out from the boxing ring for the rest of the year. “Unfortunately, my hand gave out on me but in 2025 let’s bounce back and take over boxing,” Stevenson wrote on X.

Shakur Stevenson had produced two back-to-back lackluster performances against Edwin De Los Santos and Artem Harutyunyan and was desperate to prove to his critics that he was also capable of delivering thrilling showdowns. The fighter was also seen working on his offensive strategy in the boxing gym with long-time friend and occasional sparring partner Terence Crawford. But, what was the sequence of events that led to him injuring himself?

How bad is the injury?

Stevenson had signed a two-fight contract with Eddie Hearn‘s Matchroom Boxing and was determined to improve his PPV appeal in his upcoming fight. However, the current injury delays his return to the squared circle, to next year. In the video footage shared by ESPN’s Mike Coppinger, Shakur can be seen being engaged in a clinch by his opponent. In order to set himself free, and keep his sparring partner at a distance, Stevenson delivered a left hook. After that, in quick succession, Shakur Stevenson threw a right hook to the head, and to the body—and that was the end. Immediately after, the Newark native could be seen falling down on the canvas, shaking his right hand while grimacing in pain. Reportedly, the injury was so bad that the 27-year-old needed to have surgery.

“God works in mysterious ways. Thru the ups and downs, I’m steady hungry and motivated more than ever. 2025 gone be my best year yet. Surgery went great it’s a minor setback for a major comeback,” Stevenson wrote in an Instagram post expressing regret.

However, fans on social media mocked Stevenson for pulling out of his upcoming fight, and how he sustained the injury. Let’s explore the overwhelming sentiment of the boxing community as Shakur was shown no mercy in the comment section.

Is mockery of an injury justified?

One fan argued that Shakur Stevenson’s punch wasn’t even powerful enough to warrant an injury. They hinted at the fact that Shakur was too brittle for the fight game, commenting, “Ain’t no way he got injured from a body shot with 16oz on Shakur dealing more damage on himself than his opponents. What else is new.That weak a** punch didn’t even have no pop man, this dude has zero power. I’d take a clean left from him for any amount of money.” Notably, ‘Sugar’ isn’t known for his knockout power. The boxer from Newark has a below 50% knockout ratio, finishing only ten of the twenty-two opponents he won against.

Another fan remarked that a boxer should not be ridiculed because of his injury, and deemed Stevenson’s trolling as a ‘cowardly move’. They stated, “Boxing fans to resume trolling regardless if you like Shakur injuries suck and laughing and clowning him while he’s at his compete lowest is a coward move. I’m already exiting all the haters to comment BS. At least let him heal before y’all get back to hating” It seems to be a trend now to pile on Shakur Stevenson with criticism. However, Shakur’s recent performances haven’t helped to improve his public image either.

This fan believed that Shakur was too “brittle”, and attributed his defensive style of boxing as a preventive measure to avoid serious injuries. They wrote, “That overly defensive style he’s been using since moving up makes sense now. His hands are brittle and he’s gotta choose his shots wisely in order to prevent breaking them.” Interestingly, Shakur Stevenson is routinely bashed on social media for not letting his hands go in the fight and being too gun-shy. Some would argue that to make himself into a big PPV draw, Shakur needs to work on his offensive tactics.

Meanwhile, one fan thought that Shakur Stevenson should not be taking a boxing matchup against Gervonta Davis anytime soon. They commented, “And he think he can beat Tank!? Lmaoooo.” Safe to say, there is considerable interest in how this matchup would unfold as it would be a battle between two polar opposite fighting styles with Davis being the most explosive fighter in the lightweight division with 28 knockout wins in thirty fights.

Who do you think Shakur Stevenson should fight after his return from injury? Let us know in the comment section below.