Stevenson Calls Out Russell After Pacquiao Rumors Denied

Shakur Stevenson has challenged Gary Antuanne Russell to a title unification bout after Dana White shot down rumors linking the WBO champion to Manny Pacquiao.

Stevenson, who holds The Ring and WBO belts at 140 pounds, posted his callout on social media earlier this week. Russell holds the WBA strap at junior welterweight but has yet to respond publicly. The 19-1 fighter defended his title in February with a decision win over Andy Hiraoka in Las Vegas.

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Stevenson's Frustration Over Fight Delays

The unbeaten Newark native signed with Zuffa Boxing in July but has struggled to land a major fight since. Stevenson posted that people accuse him of ducking competition across three weight classes. "I'm not gonna let my foot off y'all neck, either," he wrote, per The Ring. "Y'all complain like I don't fight anybody. Okay – compare my last two fights against William Zepeda and Teofimo Lopez Jr. and name the opponents of your favorite fighter's last two fights."

White confirmed Saturday that the Pacquiao story carried no weight. "Yeah, that's not true. No. I don't know where that report came from," the UFC and Zuffa Boxing executive said. Pacquiao turns 48 in December.

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Stevenson warned fans not to trust unconfirmed reports. "Don't believe any 'per source' in boxing," he said. "All these guys use 'per source' to spread rumors and give out false information."

Stevenson moved up to 140 in January and stopped Lopez in a one-sided decision. His resume has aged well this summer after Zepeda captured the WBC lightweight title and Lopez claimed the WBA welterweight belt. The 29-year-old is ranked third on The Ring's pound-for-pound list.

Bigger legacy fights loom at welterweight against Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney, though Stevenson has expressed a preference for 144-pound catchweights. A Russell unification would be his first bout under the Zuffa banner.

Source: ringmagazine.com