Reportedly, he expressed an interest in fighting Emanuel Navarrete. Then there were the overtures for a William Zepeda fight. But, alas, none ever came to fruition. Thankfully, it seems Shakur Stevenson may finally have a fight in hand. News reports suggest a tentative line-up against Artem Harutyunyan. If the deal makes it through, then the duo should duke it out on July 6 in Stevenson’s hometown, Newark, New Jersey. However, many fans and followers aren’t too enthused by the news.

It will be Shakur Stevenson’s first title defense since last November’s win over the Dominican Edwin De Los Santos. Harutyunyan, on the other hand, suffered his first defeat at the hands of Frank Martin on July 15, 2023. The move appears to have taken most by surprise. 

ESPN‘s Mike Coppinger tweeted that, per available sources, the American three-division champion, if the fight gets confirmed, will have to defend his WBC lightweight title from the German Olympic bronze medalist and WBC international lightweight champion.

“Shakur Stevenson and Artem Harutyunyan are finalizing a deal for a July 6 fight in Newark, New Jersey, for Stevenson’s WBC lightweight title, sources told ESPN. Stevenson coming off decision win over Edwin De Los Santos, while Harutyunyan dropped close decision to Frank Martin,” said Coppinger.

Per the latest rank list, Artem Harutyunyan stands eighth, way below the topper, William Zepeda or Raymond Muratalla. Perhaps that could be why many followers apparently questioned the line of reasoning behind the move.

A Shakur Stevenson Roundabout

However, a few fans voiced concerns about known names avoiding Stevenson for a fight.

Visibly upset, this user wants to know, for all the talks that he has been indulging in on social media, why Shakur Stevenson finally had to settle with a rank outsider like Artem Harutyunyan!

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Likewise, this follower pointed out that instead of facing off against each other, both Teofimo Lopez and Shakur Stevenson are now fighting unknown entities.

Citing the much-criticized fight with De Los Santos, this user took a dig—finally, there’s another fight that’ll help him hit the bed early on Saturday.

The next one probably believes that Shakur Stevenson seems to have gone astray. After all the hype over potential matchups, it appears to the user that the Newark-born southpaw is basically avoiding big names.

However, the champion had some support in the forum. This fan chided everyone for slamming Stevenson for going against Artem Harutyunyan, when the reality is that most well-known boxers have been avoiding him for real.

In January, Shakur Stevenson shocked the boxing world by announcing his retirement from professional boxing. Thankfully, it proved temporary, as he subsequently shared a message of a tentative return by June.

Then fans also saw him reaching out to Bill Haney. Shakur Stevenson appeared willing to fight Devin Haney as increasing reports suggested the April 20 fight between ‘The Dream’ and Ryan Garcia might cave in. Fans should perhaps wait and watch. Given his keenness to fight boxers from a division above his own, there’s a high chance of him doing that after concluding the title defense in June. The fight with Zepeda could still face challenges, though, since he is not a WBC mandatory challenger.

“It’s the Punch Placement”: Shakur Stevenson Reveals Two Big Names That Hit Him Hardest in the Gym

What’s your take on the reactions? Do you agree with the sentiments? Do you think Shakur Stevenson should have waited until he got into a big fight?

Shakur Stevenson Promises a “Murder Scene,” Teases Next Fight Date and Location