Undefeated boxers ready for intense unification fight By Matt Kelemen
Óscar Valdez
Óscar Valdez and Shakur Stevenson have a few things in common when it comes to professional boxing. Both fighters seek to unify their respective 130-pound-limit championships at their April 30 matchup at MGM Grand Garden Arena. Both are professionally undefeated, plan to remain so at the conclusion of their clash, and after Saturday night expect to be considered among the best pound-forpound fighters in professional boxing. Aside from those shared goals, each fighter marches to very different drums. World Boxing Organization junior lightweight champion Stevenson, 25, considers himself on the fast track to superstardom, which would make him seem narcissistic if he didn’t express that in such casually sincere fashion— and if so many people didn’t agree with him. The Newark-born natural fell under the spell of boxing at age 5 and trained under his grandfather’s guidance. He won 200 amateur fights and a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics. In October, he defeated Jamal Herring for the WBO belt. Now he’s under the spell of promoter J. Prince, who advised the careers of hip-hop acts The Geto Boys and Drake before becoming involved in boxing via Andre Ward. Ward, Pernell Whitaker and Sugar Ray Leonard are several of Stevenson’s main ring inspirations, and Floyd Mayweather’s name comes
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4.24.22
LAS VEGAS MAGAZINE
Óscar Valdez photo courtesy of Top Rank Inc.
