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WBC and WBO super featherweight champion Shakur ‘Fearless’ Stevenson 18-0 (9) has called on his fans to show some respect for Oscar Valdez 30-1 (22) who he defeated by unanimous decision at the MGM Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night.
The 24-year-old Stevenson from Newark, New Jersey wrested the WBC belt from previously undefeated Mexican Valez by unanimous decision with scores of 117-110, 118-109 and 118-109.
The one-sided nature of the victory has seen some fans dismiss Valdez’s credentials. But Stevenson has stepped up to bat for his rival.
“Valdez defended his tittle at 126 about 6 times he moved up to 130 fought the ‘Boogeyman’ [Miguel] Berchelt for the title and beat him up then knocked him out,” Stevenson posted to Twitter. “Pls stop discrediting him he’s a hellavu fighter and champion and when his career is over he will go down in the history books.”
In an interview with Sky Sports, Stevenson said: “That was one of my best performances because Oscar Valdez was a tough fighter, who came to win.
“I heard a lot of people asking me if this moment was going to be too much for me. I heard you ask that.
“I told y’all that I shine the bright in the highest moment. I’m a superstar and I’m going to continue to be a superstar of the sport. Most definitely, [unifying the super featherweight division] that’s probably what I’m aiming for.
“I want to go home, rest up and come up with a game plan and execute it. You got to realize that Valdez feeds off if you move too much. At times, I want to stand there, touch his body and break him down.
“I kind of saw that he had a soft side to Valdez. I never knew he had a soft side, but I seen it tonight. You only got one life. You got to enjoy the moment, have fun and I told myself that I’m going to have fun, smile through everything and we’re going to get through this.”
Stevenson believes he deserves to be ranked in the pound-for-pound list, but isn’t concerned where people place him.
“I deserve it,” he said. “Put me top ten, top five, wherever you want to put it. I deserve it. I came in there and I fought Jamel Herring and then I fought Oscar Valdez right back-to-back. I feel I deserve to be pound-for-pound.
“Because of the crowd because I walked out and they were booing me. I’m like, okay, and I had to shut them up. Once I shut them up, I had to let them know like, ‘Shhh’.
“No matter if they hate me, I love them. Nothing but respect, and I love the fact that they came out to support me and support Valdez. I don’t have no bad feelings towards them. I just wanted to shut them up.”
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