Stevenson suffers hand injury, forcing him out of Cordina defense
WBC lightweight titlist has surgery to repair torn tendon
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LAS VEGAS — Shakur Stevenson suffered a right hand injury, forcing him to have surgery on Wednesday in Colorado Springs, Colorado, where he has been holding training camp, and to withdraw from his WBC lightweight title defense against Joe Cordina on Oct. 12, Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn announced.
“He sent a pic of his hand last night after a session of sparring I believe. Tore a tendon in his knuckle and had to have immediate surgery,” Hearn said at the MGM Grand, where he this week for Matchroom fighter Edgar Berlanga’s challenge to unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena. “So, unfortunately, he’s out of the Joe Cordina fight on Oct. 12 and won’t return until early 2025.”
Stevenson-Cordina was set to be the co-feature on the Riyadh Season card headlined by the highly anticipated undisputed light heavyweight title fight between three-belt lineal champion Artur Beterbiev and WBA titleholder Dmitry Bivol in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“I am definitely disappointed that I won’t be able to fight on Oct. 12,” Stevenson said in a statement. “I have been super sharp and feeling great in camp and was planning to put on a show next month against Joe Cordina. But I have to listen to the doctor and have these injuries fixed immediately so that I can come back stronger than ever at the start of 2025.”
Stevenson is expected to be able to resume training in six to eight weeks and fight again in February.
Turki Alalshikh, who oversees the Riyadh Season events in his capacity as the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, told Fight Freaks Unite that the fight will not be replaced on what remains a deep card even without it.
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Three-division titleholder Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs), 27, a southpaw from Newark, New Jersey, would have been making his second 135-pound defense and his first since becoming a free agent with the expiration of his deal with Top Rank following a lopsided decision win over Artem Harutyunyan on July 6 in Newark and then signing with Matchroom Boxing.
He has a two-fight deal with Matchroom Boxing with the fight against former IBF junior lightweight titlist Cordina the first bout with plans for the second bout to be against WBC mandatory challenger William Zepeda.
Now, Stevenson will be off for several months recovering from the injury.
“Back to work as soon as possible,” Hearn said. “He’s very disappointed. Obviously, he was looking forward to fighting in Riyadh Season. But needs to get this done. Can’t continue fighting. As I said, quick operation and back to business early 2025.”
It remains to be seen if the fight with Cordina (17-1, 9 KOs), 32, of Wales, will be rescheduled. Cordina was set to move up to lightweight for the fight after getting knocked down in the third round and suffering an eighth-round knockout loss that cost him his title in a major upset by Anthony Cacace in Riyadh on May 18 on the Tyson Fury-Oleksandr Usyk undercard.
The Golden Boy-promoted slugging southpaw Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs), 28, of Mexico, is scheduled to face former IBF junior lightweight titlist Tevin Farmer in a 10-round lightweight bout on Nov. 16 on Riyadh Season card headlined by the Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez-Chris Billam-Smith cruiserweight unification fight in Riyadh.
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Stevenson photo: Amanda Westcott/Matchroom Boxing
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I know there’s likely no recording of Shakur hurting his hand. But I would pay through the nose, to see the video of Shakur foolishly attempting to break an egg. 🥚🥊
$10 ppv🤔