Shakur Stevenson says he will put friendship aside to face WBO Super Featherweight champion Jamel Herring, should he overcome Toka Kahn Clary on Saturday night.
Stevenson (14-0, 8 KOs) returns to the MGM Grand Bubble in Las Vegas against Clary (28-2, 19 KOs) for the final show of Top Rank’s 2020 calendar, having headlined boxing’s return in June.
The former WBO Featherweight champion is mandatory challenger to Herring and is on course to face the winner of his rival’s proposed showdown against Carl Frampton, set to take place in early 2021.
The pair have trained together in previous years, whilst the 23-year-old is also close with his compatriot’s trainer Brian “BoMac” McIntyre and stablemate Terence Crawford, who he was ringside for to witness his fourth round victory over Kell Brook last month.
However, ‘Fearless’ says he has no issue facing either Herring or Frampton and insists it will be a business decision if it’s against the former.
“That’s the fight that I’m getting, it ain’t the fight that I want, it’s the fight that I’m getting,” Stevenson said on a Media Zoom Conference call on Tuesday, when asked about the fight.
“Hopefully they hurry up with their dates and decide what they’re doing, so that way I could be back in March against the winner of that fight.
“Boxing is a business at the end of the day, I don’t look at it [like] nobody as friends.
“We get in the ring, I’ve got to feed my family just as much as he’s got to feed his family, so I can’t look at it like, I’m cool with Jamel.
“That’s the enemy when we get in the ring, so you’ve just got to wait and see.”
The 2016 Olympic Silver medalist, who has been compared with Floyd Mayweather Jr by his promoter Bob Arum steps into face Clary, after WBC champion Miguel Berchelt’s proposed all-Mexican meeting with Oscar Valdez was postponed, after Berchelt tested positive for COVID-19.
Stevenson, who is ranked at number three by the WBC admits he is also eyeing a future showdown with El Alacran, as well as WBA ‘Super’ champion, Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis, who spectacularly knocked out Leo Santa Cruz on October 31.
“Biggest rival right now is probably me and Berchelt,” Stevenson added.
“Berchelt being the top dog and everybody knows what kind of potential I’ve got so they gonna match it up, boxer vs big puncher.
“Can Shakur beat this dude? Like this is a different kind of fighter.
“So, I’d say Berchelt as of right now, but in the long run I think probably me and Tank.”
Watch the full interview with Shakur below where he breaks down his bout with Clary and reflects on his time in Joshua Greer Jr’s corner for his majority draw with Edwin Rodriguez:
Video courtesy of Top Rank.
