Promoter Bernard Hopkins desires to see Ryan Garcia and Shakur Stevenson combat at a catchweight within the first half of 2025. Hopkins likes the thought of Ryan (24-1, 20 KOs) and Shakur assembly at a catchweight between 135 and 143.
Garcia’s one-year suspension expires in April, and he’ll be searching for an opponent to combat on PPV when he returns. Devin Haney is now not an possibility as a consequence of his lawsuit. Ryan will want somebody who the boxing world would wish to see combat him. Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) might be an possibility if they might agree on an appropriate catchweight.
Shakur lacks the recognition to maneuver Ryan to drop beneath 140 to satisfy him at a catchweight of 137.5 lbs. There’s an incredible imbalance by way of recognition between the 2 fighters. Though Shakur is a world champion and captured three division world titles, he’s nowhere close to as widespread as Ryan.
Realistically the one method a combat between Ryan and Shakur may occur is that if it’s 143. Ryan is simply too massive to empty right down to 140, and if he agreed to it, there’s an excellent likelihood he’d are available obese.
“The burden that he left at,” stated Bernard Hopkins to the media when requested what weight Ryan Garcia will combat when he returns to the ring from his one-year suspension. “143, 147. It might depend upon the fighter and who they’ve bought.”
If Shakur is assured of beating Ryan, he’d conform to combat him at 143 to 147, however Golden Boy boss Oscar De La Hoya would want to provide the inexperienced mild. De La Hoya may not be open to matching Garcia towards the Eddie Hearn-promoted Shakur as a result of that might contain coping with somebody he does seem to love. If Ryan have been to lose to Shakur, Hearn would by no means let De La Hoya hear the top of it.
“Sure,” stated Hopkins about it being a catchweight. “I can inform you who I feel he [Ryan] ought to combat when the time comes. Do you wish to know? I assumed y’all have been going to ask me, however it looks like we ain’t going to get there.
“Shakur. I’d prefer to see him combat Shakur,” stated Hopkins about wanting Ryan Garcia to combat Shakur Stevenson when he comes off his suspension in April 2025. “There are not any benefits. Shakur has been sitting on a pond and fishing, proper?”
Hearn already has massive plans for Shakur to combat his #1 ranked WBC contender William Zepeda in February after which a unification match towards WBA champion Gervonta Davis in the summertime. Would Hearn be prepared to change these plans to let Shakur combat Ryan?
“Shakur hasn’t been energetic, right? By the point Ryan is prepared, that must be, and I don’t know for positive. I might be flawed,” stated Hopkins. “That must be a therapeutic time between from time to time for Shakur, right? So long as he stays wholesome. Out of the gate, not benefits. Would you agree? No benefits so far as being energetic for each fighters.”
Shakur has brittle bird-like arms, and he may endure one other damage that might additional delay his return to the ring. He’s been coping with hand accidents since final 12 months, and this might be a persistent drawback. Ryan can’t afford to wager on Shakur being wholesome within the first half of 2025 as a result of he may have issues once more. A greater possibility for Ryan could be to problem Mario Barrios for his WBO welterweight title subsequent. Let Shakur combat Zepeda and meet his detistiny.
“Meet within the center,” stated Hopkins when instructed that it could be an enormous step up for Shakur to return up from 135 to face Ryan Garcia between 143 and 147. “We’re in a distinct period proper now. Nobody talks about weight proper now. You’re speaking about Bud Crawford desires to combat Canelo Alvarez.”
