Shakur Stevenson may already be thinking about unfinished business at lightweight despite winning a world title at 140 earlier this year. The former WBC lightweight champion says he wants a fight against IBF belt holder Raymond Muratalla, which would see him drop down to 135 after many assumed he was done with the division.
Stevenson’s victory over Teofimo Lopez earned him another title in a fourth weight class, but it also created confusion about where he plans to settle long-term. After being stripped of his WBC lightweight title over unpaid sanctioning fees, Shakur appeared willing to stay at 140 and possibly move up later.
A Muratalla fight changes the picture, as it gives Shakur an immediate path back to a lightweight title without the need to rebuild fights or knockouts.
Shakur made it clear that he thinks highly of Muratalla and likes the match.
“I would love to make that fight happen,” Shakur Stevenson said The Agnew’s podcast about a possible fight against Raymond Muratalla. “I think Raymond Muratalla is a great fighter. I definitely see his game, where he does a lot of good things. He’s tall, tall, and he’s got a good right hand.”
That praise was surprising because Shakur rarely gives his potential opponents much credit in public. Muratalla’s size, reach and right hand could make him one of the more difficult style matchups available at lightweight, especially for a fighter coming off 140.
Muratalla retained his IBF title with a 12-round majority decision win over Andy Cruz earlier this year, but his name has remained silent since then. The lightweight division also became less pressured at the top after Shakur moved up, making this fight easier to make than some of the political fights that have stalled in the past.
There is also a risk for Shakur to return to 135. Moving back to a fight against junior welterweight is never automatic, especially against a tall push fighter who throws volume and carries power late into fights.
A Muratalla fight could appeal to Shakur because it offers another title, another division checkpoint, and a chance to remind people that he still considers himself the top fighter in lightweight despite leaving the division earlier this year.
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Last updated on 2026/05/07 at 12:00
