Shakur Stevenson targeting big British names ahead of Mick Conlan

Lee Selby and current World champion Josh Warrington where the names that passed Shakur Stevenson’s lips after his impressive win on Saturday.

The American featherweight, who for numerous well publicized reasons is a cert to one day face Ireland’s Mick Conlan, destroyed Viorel Simion in one round in Omaha on the Terence Crawford v David Benavidez undercard in Omaha.

There has been a few light back-and-forwards between the pair and Conlan [8(5)-0] had raised the temperture of their verbals slightly during the week with the suggestion that his own ability to sell out the Theater at Madison Square Garden is the only reason a publicity-hungry Stevenson [9(5)-0] has been using his name

The former amateur world champion currently has Rio revenge and Russian ‘bad guy’ Vladimir Nikitin is top of his hit list and will survey the Stevenson situation when that is achieved.

After his most recent win, Olympic silver medallist Stevenson drafted his own hit list and called out some interesting names.

Moments after his statement three-knockdown first-round stoppage of the Romanian on Saturday, Stevenson steered clear of name dropping the Belfast talent and instead put forward British former and current world champions Lee Selby and Josh Warrington.

The outspoken youngster declared that “y’all can give me Lee Selby next.”

“I feel like, I feel I’ve been calling Lee Selby out since forever. I’ll go to England and fight Lee Selby and, after I fight Lee Selby, I’ll fight Josh Warrington too.”

On his win over Simion, Stevenson said that “it felt great, he went 12 rounds with Lee Selby, he beat Scott Quigg for five rounds, and he ain’t make it out of the first round with me.”

“2019 is going to be my break-out year.”

Selby hasn’t fought since his surprise defeat to Warrington back in May and is said to be moving up two weight classes to lightweight.

Warrington, who wrestled the IBF title away from Selby at Elland Road, defends the red belt against Conlan’s fellow Belfast feather, Carl Frampton, on December 22nd.

For Stevenson, a fight with Selby looks an impossibility due to weight. However, the notion of fighting a British boxer would be a solid strategy as it would further introduce the Newark talent to the Irish and UK market and potentially add value to any future Conlan clash.