Shakur Stevenson bids to become three-division titleholder

FIGHT WEEK

Pound-for-pounder Shakur Stevenson and Edwin De Los Santos are scheduled to fight for the 135-pound title stripped from Devin Haney on Thursday night in Las Vegas.

SHAKUR STEVENSON (20-0, 10 KOs)vs. EDWIN DE LOS SANTOS (16-1, 14 KOs)

Date: Thursday, Nov. 16
Time: 10:30 p.m. ET / 7:30 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
Division: Lightweight (135 pounds)
At stake: Vacant WBC title
Odds: Stevenson 8-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Also on the card: Emanuel Navarrete vs. Robson Conceicao, junior lightweights (for Navarrete’s WBO title)
Prediction: Stevenson UD
Background: Stevenson will try to become a world titleholder in a third division and continue to build the case that he’s as good as anyone in boxing in an unusual Thursday-night fight. The gifted 2016 Olympic silver medalist from New Jersey has been untouchable as a professional, even as his opposition has improved. He became a two-division champion by stopping Jamel Hering to win a 130-pound title in 2021 and then successfully defended by easily outpointing unbeaten Oscar Valdez in a title-unification bout the following April, which lifted him onto many pound-for-pound lists (No. 13 on Boxing Junkie’s). He lost his belts on the scale before defeating Robson Conceicao by a wide decision in September last year, after which he made the decision to move up to 135. He knocked out Shuichiro Yoshino in six rounds in his debut as a full-fledged lightweight on April 8. He will now face De Los Santos for the 135-pound title stripped from Devin Haney. The 24-year-old from the Dominican Republic has won three consecutive fights since he lost a split decision to William Foster III in January of last year, knockouts of Luis Acosta and Jose Valenzuela, and a decision over Joseph Adorno. De Los Santos is taking a significant step up in opposition against Stevenson.

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

TUESDAY

Steve Claggett vs. Miguel Madueno, lightweights, Montreal (ESPN+)

WEDNESDAY

Justin Pauldo vs. Jerry Perez, lightweights, Plant City, Florida (ProBox TV)

SATURDAY

Diego Pacheco vs. Marcelo Coceres, super middleweights, Los Angeles (DAZN)
Denzel Bentley vs. Nathan Heaney, middleweights, Manchester, England (ESPN+)
Franck Petitjean vs. Adam Azim, junior welterweights, Wolverhampton, England (Peacock)