Having fought his way to mandatory status in the WBO sanctioning body at 126 pounds, Stevenson was ecstatic over his possible showdown against then belt holder, Oscar Valdez. However, in a move that Stevenson considers “ducking”, Valdez opted against facing him and would move up in weight. Shortly after planting his flag at 130 pounds, Stevenson quickly joined him. The former Olympic silver medalist would reel off three consecutive victories as a full-blown super featherweight before truncating the world title reign of Jamel Herring. But, I think that he’s in for it with me because I’m a special talent.”

Source: The Guardian April 26, 2022 03:00 UTC