Shakur Stevenson Teases June Fight Following Boxing Retirement Announcement

Just two weeks after announcing his retirement from boxing, undefeated lightweight Shakur Stevenson reversed course Monday.

Stevenson took to X on Monday night and suggested that he plans on returning to the ring in June:

The post came just a couple of weeks after the 26-year-old announced his retirement on X:

In response to an X user questioning his decision to walk back his retirement plans so quickly, Stevenson expressed his love for boxing, writing:

Stevenson has held titles at the featherweight, super featherweight and lightweight levels, and he most recently fought back in November, beating Edwin De Los Santos by unanimous decision for the vacant WBC lightweight title.

That brought Stevenson's career professional record to 21-0, and placed him atop yet another weight class.

Prior to turning pro, Stevenson was an accomplished amateur boxer, winning a silver medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

Stevenson joined the professional ranks in 2017, and it took him only two years before he started winning major championships, including the WBO featherweight title.

He later went on to become the WBO, WBC and The Ring super featherweight champion, but after failing to make weight for a bout against Robson Conceicão in 2022, he moved up to lightweight.

The Ring currently ranks Stevenson fourth in the lightweight division behind Vasiliy Lomachenko, Gervonta Davis and Isaac Cruz, any of whom could be compelling opponents for the southpaw from New Jersey.

Stevenson is ranked ahead of William Zepeda, Frank Martin, Raymond Muratalla, George Kambosos Jr., Maxi Hughes and Keyshawn Davis, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him start with one of them before moving up to Lomachenko, Davis or Cruz.

There is little doubt that Stevenson has the tools to be among the biggest stars in the lightweight division, and if he indeed plans to return in June, it will add even more depth and talent to a weight class that features some of the best boxers in the world.