Ernesto Mercado says Shakur Stevenson has been avoiding him since he called him out. Matchroom-promoted light welterweight contender Mercado (17-0, 16 KOs) believes Shakur is “afraid” of him. He says Stevenson blocked him on social media.
The 24-year-old Mercado tried to get Shakur (24-0, 11 KOs) to face him, but to no avail. Instead, he was chosen to ignore him and fight the likes of Josh Padley, Artem Harutyunyan and William Zepeda to keep his record undefeated.
What was surprising was that Eddie Hearn didn’t try to pair Shakur with Mercado while he was still under contract with Matchroom. Instead, earlier this year on February 22 in Riyadh, Hearn gave Shakur Josh Padley, an electrician and part-time boxer, a mismatch.
Hearn sought to match Stevenson against former IBF super featherweight champion Joe Cordina, who was coming off a nasty eight-round knockout of Anthony Cacace.
“I think Shakur already has an idea. So, he doesn’t really want to fight. When I called him out, he really didn’t want to say anything. He was trying to avoid me the whole time,” Ernesto Mercado said. Battle hype about how Shakur Stevenson didn’t acknowledge him when he called him out.
The 24-year-old Mercado would be a problem for Stevenson because of his punching power, aggression and pedigree. This wouldn’t be a fight where Shakur could cover up on the ropes like he did in his last fight against William Zepeda on July 12, or move around for 12 rounds. He will have to mix it up with Tito Mercado to win.
“He even blocked me on all social media. The boy is scared. It’s going to be a tactical fight at first, but I end up breaking him down and knocking him out,” Mercado said of Shakur. “I see him for what he really is. He’s a good boxer, but you also have to see who he’s fighting.”
Mercado’s punching power and pressing style of fighting would make him a threat to Stevenson. He’s a completely different kind of fighter than the 24 guys Shakur built his professional resume on. Size-wise, Shakur and Mercado are similar, but the power and the seek-and-destroy style is what sets Ernesto apart.
“Top-ranked at the beginning of his career, when he was with them, they really fit him perfectly, fighting guys like (Oscar) Valdez that fit his style. All these guys that fit his style perfectly. I don’t think he’s really a good fit for me,” Mercado said.
When Shakur was at Top Rank, they didn’t have a hard time matching him. He was given the Edgar Berlanga treatment. They gave earlier fighters who were not a threat as he was beaten by Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez in the 2016 Olympics and was exposed in that fight. So, in the 22 fights that Shakur was with Top Rank, they matched him against opposition that wasn’t a threat to beat him.
Mercado is coming off an injury layoff. He knocked out Jose Pedraza in the fourth round earlier this year on January 25. Next month, Mercado will fight Antonio Moran (31-7-1, 21 KOs) in a 10-round bout on a Matchroom card on Dec. 10 at the Stockton Arena in Stockton, California. Mercado vs. Moran will be on the undercard of Diego Pacheco vs. Be Kevin Lele Sadjo.
Last updated on 29/11/2025
