Eubank Jr. Could Fight For World Title, Shakur Stevenson Labels Himself As The ‘Best’

In today’s online boxing news, Chris Eubank Jr. could be in line for a world title shot following his win over Liam Smith. 

Eubank Jr. stopped Smith in the tenth round to gain his revenge after being stopped by the Liverpudlian in their first fight during the fourth round.

In the aftermath of the fight, Eubank Jr. targeted the mega fights including Canelo Alvarez, Gennady Golovkin and Conor Benn. And yet, there could be a title shot for the WBO belt.

Eubank Jr.’s World Title Chances

Following the win over Smith, Eubank Jr. moved up to the top of the WBO rankings in the middleweight division. The current WBO champion is Janibek Alimkhanuly.

The latter is currently unbeaten with a record of 14-0, and he grabbed the title after beating Esquiva Falcao via a unanimous decision.

Alimkhanuly will now put his belt on the line against Vincenzo Gualtieri, who brings the IBF title, in a unification fight. And provided that the fight goes ahead, Eubank could be fighting for numerous belts. 

Eubank’s Legacy

Nevertheless, the boxer will have to decide between legacy and money. A fight with Alimkhanuly brings the title, but it may not be as lucrative as some of the other fights mentioned. But either way, Eubank has put himself in a position to call the shots. 

“I want to do whatever the fans want to see. There’s some huge names out there, there’s some big opportunities. World titles, big fights, it’s all on the table,” Eubank Jr. 

Shakur’s Belief

Meanwhile, Shakur Stevenson talked up his credentials by confirming his belief that he is the best in the division. 

The lightweight is currently undefeated, as his record stands at 20-0 with 10 wins by way of knockout. And as part of that process, Stevenson is a two-weight world champion.

He is currently the WBC mandatory as he gears up to face Edwin De Los Santos for the vacant belt at 135 following Devin Haney’s move up to junior welterweight.

However, prior to that fight happening, Stevenson saw bouts with Vasiliy Lomachenko and Frank Martin break down. The former ruled himself out of fighting this year, as per his promoter Bob Arum, following a controversial unanimous-decision loss at the hands of Haney.

Meanwhile, Martin pulled out at the last minute after suggestions that he wanted an equal split even if Shakur viewed it as an excuse to get out of the fight. Despite the reluctance of others to fight him, Shakur made it clear that he was the best in the division. 

“In my opinion, I’m better than everybody. I believe in myself, I’m confident in my ability,” Stevenson stated 

Provided that Stevenson gets the belt, he will be in a position to target the big fights. After all, a win would make him a three-weight world champion.

In addition, a belt would allow Stevenson to have more leverage in the negotiations than he currently has at the moment. And that may be enough to get those fights later down the line.