Shakur Stevenson targeting Tank Davis following title fight later this year

By G. Leon

29/04/2019

Shakur Stevenson targeting Tank Davis following title fight later this year

"I am the future of boxing!"

Greg Leon: Congrats on your dominant victory over Christopher Diaz. Can you give us some thoughts on your peformance? Shakur Stevenson: "It was a good performance and Christopher Diaz is a very good fighter. I'm going to keep getting better and better this year and I'm going to have more good performances like that one on the way." GL: I heard you told Bob Arum not to doubt you anymore when he came into Bud's (Terence Crawford) dressing room. Can you tell us about that? Shakur Stevenson: "I had to let him know. I told him before the fight too because I saw in interviews that he was saying the Diaz was too much for, I shouldn't have taken this fight and I'm making a big mistake and the fight was way easier than anybody expected."
 
GL: Do you think Arum really believed that or was he saying it just to promote?
 
Shakur Stevenson: "I don't know...you never know about things like that, but I defintiely think he thought that Christopher Diaz was going to be a tougher test."
 
GL: Other than stopping him was there something that you wanted to accomplish against Diaz that you didn't?
 
SS: "I wasn't really trying to go in there to get him out of there because I knew that Christopher Diaz is tough. I caught him with some good shots and he's got a decent chin. I know he's a fighter that's really coming down from 135 and I caught him with some good shots and he's got a decent chin. But while I was in there I did everything I was supposed to do."
 
GL: Where do you go from here? When will you be back in the ring?
 
SS: "I'm hearing some time in July, but we don't have an exact date yet."
 
GL: I thought you looked fantastic in the fight. What do you feel you still need to improve on after a performance like that?
 
SS: "I got to stay focused through every round. I be letting my focus disappear sometimes and I get lax and I can take a whole round off and then get back to doing what I was doing. I guess I got to stay on what I be on in every round."
 
GL: Was it difficult for you to stay focused with the video from the incident that took place last year coming out weeks before the most important fight of your career? Was it a distracton in any way?
 
SS: "I ain't gonna lie, it wasn't really difficult. I knew I had a big task ahead of me because Christopher Diaz is a good fighter, so I was locked in with the task that I got in front of me and not focusing on anything else around me. I wouldn't have been able to focus on anything else but what was in front of me and that was all I was paying attention to."
 
GL: You've been calling out Josh Warrington for a hot minute now. Do you think Top Rank will be able to deliver him?
 
SS: "They could give me him or they could give me Oscar Valdez. Osacar Valdez is already with Top Rank, so that fight should be easier to make."
 
GL: Do you want to fight for a title before the end of the year?
 
SS: "Yes I do. I want to fight for a title before the end of the year and after I do that I want to move up to 130 and fight Tank."
 
GL: Whoa. 
 
SS: "Yeppp."
 
GL: So you want to get the belt and go right to 130 without defending it first?
 
SS: "Maybe I'll defend it once and go up and maybe not, we'll see. I don't really see myself staying at 126 that long."
 
GL: Tank isn't with Top Rank, that's going to make the fight more difficult to make.
 
SS: You're right about that, but I'm going to call for it and I'm going to do everything I can to make it happen as soon as possible and hopefully we could get it done."
 
GL: Why Tank?
 
SS: "I don't know, I just want his spot."
 
GL: What spot do you think he has?
 
SS: "If I'm being honest with you I think he's the man at 130 and I want that spot."
 
GL: How does a fight with you and Tank play out?
 
SS: "My way. It's going to play out in my favor. I've been in the ring with Tank before and I know a little something. I'm not going to speak on sparring or nothing, but I know what I'm capable of."
 
GL: And so does he apparently.
 
SS: "Yepp."
 
GL: I heard what you said earlier, but who got the better of that work?
 
SS: "I can't really speak on sparring, I don't do that. Just know I'm nice."
 
GL: If you're looking to fight in July when will you get yourself back into camp? Are you already in the gym?
 
SS: "I'm taking today off because it's Sunday, but yes I'll be right back in the gym on Monday."
 
GL: You know Oscar Valdez is with Top Rank, but do you think Top Rank is going to be in a rush to make that happen? Do you think they're going to want to sacrifice him to you?
 
SS: "I don't think so, I know they like Oscar Valdez so I don't think they'll put him in that position."
 
GL: So you think they're going to look for other ways to get you a title.
 
SS: "They'll definitely try to get me Josh Warrington before they give me Valdez."
 
GL: Closing thoughts for the fans.
 
SS: "Just keep tuning in, I'm going to keep getting better and better. I am the future of boxing."

Send questions and comments to: Boxingtalkg@Yahoo.com