Shakur Stevenson
Shakur Stevenson (born June 28, 1997) is an American professional boxer who fights from the southpaw stance in the lightweight division. He is a three-division world champion, having captured the WBO featherweight title in 2019, the unified WBO and WBC super featherweight titles in 2021 and 2022, and the WBC lightweight title in 2023, which he has defended three times as of November 2025. As of November 2025, Stevenson remains undefeated with a professional record of 24 wins and 0 losses, including 11 knockouts.
Born Ash-Shakur Nafi-Shahid Stevenson in Newark, New Jersey , he began boxing at age six and quickly rose through the amateur ranks, compiling a 23-0 international record. Stevenson became the first American male boxer to win junior and youth world championships as well as a gold medal at the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics before earning a silver medal in the bantamweight division at the 2016 Rio Olympics, where he lost in the final to Cuba's Robeisy Ramírez . Turning professional in 2017 at age 19, he debuted with a first-round knockout and built momentum with victories over respected opponents, leading to his first world title opportunity against Joet Gonzalez in October 2019, which he won by unanimous decision to claim the vacant WBO featherweight belt.
Stevenson's technical prowess, characterized by exceptional defensive skills and ring intelligence, has defined his career, earning comparisons to boxing legends like Floyd Mayweather. After relinquishing the featherweight title, he moved up to super featherweight and defeated Jamel Herring by technical knockout in October 2021 to win the WBO belt, followed by a dominant unanimous decision over Oscar Valdez in April 2022 to add the WBC title and unify the division. Transitioning to lightweight in 2023, he claimed the vacant WBC crown with a unanimous decision victory over Edwin De Los Santos in November, then defended it against Artem Harutyunyan in July 2024 by unanimous decision , Josh Padley in February 2025 by ninth-round technical knockout, and William Zepeda in July 2025 by unanimous decision , all in high-profile bouts. At 28 years old and standing 5 feet 8 inches with a 68-inch reach, Stevenson continues to be regarded as one of boxing's top pound-for-pound talents.
Shakur Stevenson was born on June 28, 1997, in Newark, New Jersey , to single mother Malikah Stevenson, who raised him alongside his eight younger siblings in a modest housing complex. His biological father, Alfredo Rivera, was incarcerated during much of his early years and remained largely absent from his upbringing. Named after rapper Tupac Shakur , who had been killed nine months earlier, Stevenson grew up in a close-knit family where his mother worked multiple jobs to support them.
From a young age, Stevenson was primarily guided by his maternal grandparents, with his grandfather Wali Moses serving as his chief mentor and influence. Moses , a former boxer and longtime coach who operated a local gym in Newark, introduced Stevenson to the sport at age five by giving him his first pair of boxing gloves and taking him to train. This early immersion fostered a deep bond between grandfather and grandson, with Moses recognizing Stevenson's potential and instilling discipline through rigorous training sessions.
Newark's gritty environment presented significant challenges during Stevenson's childhood, including frequent exposure to street violence , sirens, and the temptations of local gang life, which claimed the life of a cousin when he was 16. Boxing became a vital outlet, offering structure and a positive focus amid these hardships; Stevenson has credited the sport—and his grandfather's guidance—with steering him away from trouble and channeling his energy productively.
Stevenson began his competitive amateur boxing career around the age of six, training in local gyms in Newark, New Jersey , under the guidance of his grandfather and coach, Wali Moses.
