April 2022 will be a real treat for boxing fans. Ryan Garcia, Errol Spence vs Yordenis Ugas, Tyson Fury vs Dillian Whyte, Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano, and one of the most anticipated bouts: the Super featherweight division unification fight between Oscar Valdez and Shakur Stevenson. Expectations are so high that Bob Arum, the promoter of the clash, mentions that it could be similar to one of the most successful trilogies in recent boxing history.
In addition to putting the WBC and WBA Super featherweight World titles on the table, Valdez vs Stevenson will see two real trains collide. On the one hand, the 31-year-old Mexican (30-0-0, 23 KOs) is a two-division World Champion, having already won the WBO featherweight title.
On the other hand, Shakur Stevenson is also a two-division World Champion at just 24 years of age. Like his April 30 opponent at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, Shakur is undefeated and has a record of 17-0-0 with 9 knockouts so far.
Bob Arum compares Valdez vs Stevenson to a legendary boxing trilogy
At 90 years old, Bob Arum can boast of having seen the best of boxing. The longtime promoter is an authoritative voice when it comes to making comparisons, which is why his comparison of the Super featherweight unification fight between Oscar Valdez and Shakur Stevenson to one of the sport’s bloodiest and most exciting trilogies, like Erik Morales vs Marco Barrera, is a harbinger of an epic bout to come.
“This looks to me a lot like the old MarcoBarrera and ErikMorales fights that we have enjoyed so many years ago. These guys are really terrific fighters. It is gonna be a very exciting fight. These guys have become skills and professionals, they have great corners, and how the fight is going to unfold is hard to predict.“, said Arum to Fight Hub TV Youtube Channel.
The explanation of whyTop Rank’s owner believes Oscar Valdez vs Shakur Stevenson could become a boxing classic like Morales vs Barrera was is the reason both boxers have to make this fight: “Both of these guys are very prideful, and have taken the fight not because they had to, but because they wanted to. Those kinds of fights are very intense and joyful to watch.“
Erik Morales vs Marco Barrera is a thrilling boxing classic. (Getty Images)
