After a full year under Matchroom Boxing and two fights with Eddie Hearn, Shakur Stevenson is officially stepping into free-agent territory after his next fight. His last outing saw him stop Josh Padley, a late replacement for Floyd Schofield, with a dominant 9th-round TKO in his 24th professional bout, marking a successful defense of his WBC World Lightweight title. Up next? His second and probably the last matchup, with Matchroom Boxing, is a mandatory clash with the unbeaten William Zepeda. But while fans are buzzing about the fight, there’s just as much speculation about what comes after. Will Shakur Stevenson stick with Eddie Hearn? Or is he eyeing a new chapter under Floyd Mayweather’s promotional banner?

Turns out, the Newark native has already dropped some clues. Speaking with talkSPORT’s George Glinski yesterday, Shakur Stevenson didn’t shy away from discussing his future. “I’m just doing what I want to do. So I’m in a situation and I’m blessed enough to be able to do whatever I want to do,” he said confidently. While he gave major props to Eddie Hearn, calling him “one of the best promoters in the sport of boxing,” he made it clear that loyalty will follow logic. “I’d like to have Eddie part of the journey with me, but only if it makes sense. And right now, I feel like it makes sense. And, for future references, if it all makes sense, I’m down to keep going with Eddie, but it all depends if it makes sense.”

For now, it looks like Shakur Stevenson is sticking with Eddie Hearn, at least until July 12th. But once that fight wraps, all eyes will shift from the ring to the boardroom. Moreover, Shakur Stevenson’s current promotional status makes him one of the hottest free agents in boxing, and suitors are already lining up. Leading the pack? None other than Floyd Mayweather Jr. The two actually had a sit-down after Stevenson parted ways with Top Rank last year, though Shakur Stevenson ultimately opted to sign with Matchroom at the time.

Still, the door to Mayweather Promotions is far from closed. The 23-0 boxer recently spoke about the possibility of joining forces with “Money” Mayweather, and the respect runs deep. “When you one of the best fighters in the world, everybody wants to be down with the best team. But, I appreciate Floyd Mayweather. That’s my guy,” he shared. However, when asked whether he would consider linking up with Mayweather Promotions, Shakur Stevenson talked about one single condition. Which is?

“Yeah, for sure. For sure. Once again, if it makes sense, everything flowing the right way, and I would love to. I think he’s one of the best boxers to ever live. And just to have him on my team would be amazing,” he said. It’s clear the admiration is mutual, and with Shakur Stevenson’s talent and Mayweather’s brand, that partnership could be explosive.

Shakur Stevenson and William Zepeda were originally scheduled to clash back in February, but Zepeda suffered a hand injury in his first fight with Tevin Farmer, forcing a delay. Negotiations afterward weren’t exactly smooth sailing either. The 27-year-old made it known he was unhappy with the initial purse offer from Saudi boxing powerbroker His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, as a result, the fight hung in limbo for weeks, with fans worried it might fall apart altogether.

Fortunately, both camps eventually came to terms, locking in the bout for July 12 on the same card as Edgar Berlanga vs. Hamzah Sheeraz at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in New York. So, while Shakur Stevenson hasn’t made a final decision on which promotional team he’ll choose to go with next, he’s already been speaking highly of Floyd Mayweather, something that became especially evident just last month.

Shakur Stevenson defends Floyd Mayweather amid growing criticism

Last month, Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s name came up again, not as a potential promoter this time, but in a conversation about defensive fighters and the criticism they often face. As Shakur Stevenson sat down for an interview on The Breakfast Club Power, he didn’t shy away from addressing the hate he’s received for not being a knockout artist. The topic heated up when comedian Jess Hilarious reminded him of a harsh comment made by rapper Ma$e after his decision win over Artem Harutyunyan last July. “Ma$e said, ‘No disrespect to Newark, but I don’t want to see Shakur fight nobody. For him to be hanging out with Terence Crawford and Andre Ward. There’s absolutely no way that he’s fighting the way he’s fighting,'” Jess highlighted.

And Shakur Stevenson didn’t flinch. “I can’t really take some of these guys too serious,” he said coolly. “They make a living off trolling people… So even though I reacted to it before, I don’t feel the same way now.” That’s when Charlamagne tha God jumped in with an important point: “You know what’s crazy though? They’re not saying anything about you that they didn’t say about somebody like a Floyd [Mayweather] though. Like because people do not, for whatever reason, people don’t respect defensive fighters.” And the response?

“Facts!” Shakur Stevenson agreed, then called out a double standard. “I think it’s a stigma on black fighters who outbox people, but like Lomachenko or a Bivol can go outbox the same people that you don’t never hear no boring things on them. So, I just hear it. But it is what it is.” Anyway, while Shakur Stevenson is still weighing his next move on the promotional front, one thing remains uncertain: can Stevenson outclass Zepeda, a fighter with significantly more professional experience under his belt?