Elsa/Getty ImagesUndefeated lightweight boxer Shakur Stevenson is reportedly set to return to the ring on July 6.
According to boxing reporter Dan Rafael (h/t Michael Benson of TalkSport.com), the bout will take place at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, against a yet-to-be-determined opponent.
Stevenson's most recent fight was against Edwin De Los Santos in November. Stevenson beat De Los Santos by unanimous decision to win the vacant WBC lightweight title.
The 26-year-old Stevenson, who is a perfect 21-0 in his career, shockingly announced his retirement in a post on X in January:
Shakur Stevenson @ShakurStevensonI'm officially retiring from the sport of boxing I'll be in the gym forever perfecting my craft and helping the next generation become great and chase they dreams but I ain't fw this weak boxing game 💪🏾
Per Ryan Songalia of The Ring, Stevenson's retirement was seemingly a reaction to a decision handed down by the WBO. Stevenson apparently wanted to face Emanuel Navarrete in his next fight, but the WBO announced that Navarrete would take on Denys Berinchyk instead.
Stevenson responded in a post, writing: "This is sickening…s--t is disgusting."
Just a couple of weeks later, Stevenson reversed course and suggested in a post on X that he was preparing to fight in June:
Shakur Stevenson @ShakurStevensonI'll fight any and everybody this what I do.. See y'all in June💪🏾 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ChasingGreatness?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ChasingGreatness</a>
Stevenson turned pro after winning a silver medal in the bantamweight division at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, and he went on to win multiple titles in the featherweight and super featherweight divisions before moving up to lightweight.
The Ring ranks Stevenson as the No. 4 lightweight boxer in the world currently behind only Vasiliy Lomachenko, Gervonta Davis and Isaac Cruz.
Assuming the WBC wants to save a fight against one of them for the future, some of the opponent options for Stevenson on July 6 include William Zepeda, Frank Martin, Raymond Muratalla, George Kambosos Jr., Maxi Hughes and Keyshawn Davis, who round out the top 10 in the lightweight rankings.
Regardless of who Stevenson goes up against, it will be a big deal if he fights on July 6 as expected since the bout is reportedly slated to take place in his hometown of Newark, which is where two of his past three bouts occurred.
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