Who's Next for Shakur? Zuffa Eyes Jan. 23 in Newark, Opponent TBD

Whisper Update, Oct. 27: The clock, the critics and the call-outs ⏰

REPORTED. The WBO has put Shakur on the clock: Kimster reports he's been ordered to negotiate a mandatory 140-pound defense against No. 1 contender Raymond Muratalla, with 20 days to make a deal (on Boxbid). Stevenson is still a free agent after leaving Zuffa (on Boxbid).

The critics. The Ring posted Jose "Rayo" Valenzuela's reaction (x.com): "If you're a real fighter you take care of the [easy work]." (Bracket is The Ring's.) The Ring's caption says Valenzuela "was not happy to see Shakur Stevenson secure his release from Zuffa Boxing 😬".

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Robert Garcia, to Fight Hub (x.com): "What’s Shakur looking for? When’s he gonna fight to demand that 15 million? I don’t know I really don’t know. If that’s the situation, he might not fight for a while!"

J Prince, also via Fight Hub (x.com), on Shakur vs. Devin Haney: "I don’t think they ever wanted to fight. I think Devin did, I don’t think Bill never liked that fight. And he figured out a way to stop it."

The call-outs. WBC champ Dalton Smith wants him (more in our Smith update, on Boxbid), and Shakur gave props to O'Shaquie Foster after San Antonio: "Shakur vs Shock? 🍿 Shakur Stevenson gives props to O’Shaquie Foster after his performance vs Emanuel Navarrete 👏" (https://x.com/ringmagazine/status/2114212930283590107, The Ring's caption).

The Pitbull Cruz talk (Oct. 21) is still unconfirmed by anyone on the record.

Boxer pages: Shakur Stevenson (on Boxbid), Raymond Muratalla (on Boxbid), Isaac Cruz (on Boxbid), Devin Haney (on Boxbid).

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Rumor-Meter update (Oct. 27)

• Stevenson vs. Muratalla next: WARM (REPORTED). Ordered, but a free agent with a $15M ask (per Robert Garcia) can stall.
• Stevenson vs. Cruz: COLD (RUMOR). One outlet, unnamed sources, nothing since.
• Stevenson vs. Dalton Smith: WARM (RUMOR). Both sides are talking, nobody's negotiating on the record.

Whisper Update, Oct. 19: Shakur's a free agent, so Newark's off. 🚪

REPORTED. Shakur Stevenson is out of Zuffa Boxing. He says he asked for his release and got it, and Kimster has the full story (on Boxbid). That ends the Zuffa plan for Jan. 23 in Newark that we reported below.

RUMOR. The money. Reporter Sean Zittel, as relayed by Boxing News 24 (boxingnews24.com): "He wanted $15 million no matter who was going to be put in front of him." Per BN24, Zittel reports Zuffa explored a January date in Newark against Jose 'Rayo' Valenzuela that would have paid Stevenson roughly $7 million. Zittel says he reached out and got no response from Stevenson or his team. It's a single source, so treat the numbers as gossip.

RUMOR. Matchroom whispers. World Boxing News' caption (x.com): "Eddie Hearn trolls Dana White following Shakur Stevenson's departure from Zuffa Boxing, mocking the UFC boss's previous post with Turki Alalshikh. 🥊" We couldn't find Hearn's original post to check it ourselves, so that's WBN's account. WBN also says (x.com): "Shakur Stevenson has reposted Eddie Hearn's celebration of his departure from Dana White's Zuffa Boxing. 🤯" A troll and a repost aren't a contract, darlings. Shakur to Matchroom is speculation only.

The Haney camp chimes in. Fight Hub TV posted "Bill Haney REACTS to Shakur Stevenson leaving Zuffa Boxing!! 👀" (x.com). The caption doesn't say what he said, and we don't transcribe video. Frank Martin, per Fight Hub TV's caption (x.com): "I feel like it’s the perfect time for the fight to happen for both of them. But is it going to happen!"

Rumor-Meter update (Oct. 19)

• Shakur fights Jan. 23 in Newark for Zuffa: OFF. He's no longer with Zuffa.
• The $15M-per-fight ask: COLD (single source). Shakur's team didn't respond to Zittel.
• Shakur to Matchroom: COLD (speculation). A troll and a repost, nothing more.

Our original Oct. 17 report follows.

REPORTED. The Haney fight is dead, so Shakur Stevenson needs a new dance partner, and maybe a homecoming. Dan Rafael posted (x.com): "News: Per sources, with the apparent implosion of Devin Haney-Shakur Stevenson, @Zuffa_Boxing's plan is to have Shakur fight Jan. 23 at Prudential Center in his hometown of Newark." No opponent has been named, and nothing has been officially announced.

A year away. Boxing News 24 (boxingnews24.com) points out that if the date holds, Stevenson "will have been out of the ring for a full year". His last fight was the Teofimo Lopez win on Jan. 31.

The wish list (BN24's, not Zuffa's). In BN24's opinion, contenders "like Raymond Muratalla, Richardson Hitchins, or Ernesto Mercado bring real ambition." That's BN24's suggestion; there's no reporting that any of them is in the mix for Jan. 23. BN24 itself says "Nothing suggests" Muratalla is in the frame for that slot.

How we got here: Kimster's breakdown of how the deal died on the scale (on Boxbid), our running Haney-Stevenson file (on Boxbid) and the pile-on of fighters calling Shakur out (on Boxbid). Boxer page: Shakur Stevenson (on Boxbid).

Rumor-Meter

• Shakur fights Jan. 23 at the Prudential Center: WARM (REPORTED). Rafael's sources say it's the plan, but it isn't announced.
• Opponent: TBD. Muratalla, Hitchins and Mercado are BN24's ideas only.

Where should free agent Shakur land next? Drop your pick in the Boxbid community. 👀

You didn't hear it from me… 🤫