Will Shakur Stevenson sign with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy?

In a world where the sweet science meets the machinations of business, Golden Boy Promotions’ founder Oscar De La Hoya is eyeing the free-agent status of Shakur Stevenson like a hawk spotting prey. It’s a thrilling time in the boxing cosmos as the New Jersey dynamo, Shakur Stevenson, has untethered himself from Top Rank after dispatching Artem Harutyunyan with a display of clinical precision on a Saturday night under the bright lights.

The rumblings were confirmed by Top Rank’s Bruce Trampler, who, in a post on X, told the world that “free agent Shakur” had his swan song with the company, showcasing his talents one last time on ESPN. The parting of ways marks a seismic shift, creating an open market for one of the sport’s most promising talents, and De La Hoya, the Golden Boy turned savvy promoter, seems eager to swoop in.

In an interview earlier this year, De La Hoya had already set his sights on a potential clash between Stevenson and his rising star, William Zepeda. This wasn’t just idle talk. That same night, as Stevenson danced around Harutyunyan on the East Coast, Zepeda was making his own statement on the West Coast, turning Giovanni Cabrera into a cautionary tale with a symphony of head and body shots at the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.

Zepeda’s dismantling of Cabrera was a harbinger, a signal to the boxing world that he’s ready for the upper echelons. As De La Hoya strolled out of the venue, radiating the confidence of a man who knows he’s holding a winning hand, he was asked whether or not he had interest in signing a newly free agent Stevenson. De La Hoya’s smile was as wide as the horizon, his excitement palpable. “I’d love to,” he said. “Shakur,” he called out into the night, “give me a call!”

The path ahead for Stevenson, should he join Golden Boy, is shrouded in intrigue. While a showdown with Zepeda tantalizes, it seems De La Hoya might have bigger plans. The promoter’s keen eye for turning fights into spectacles suggests he’d prefer Zepeda to snatch a lightweight championship first, making a potential unification bout with Stevenson a box office bonanza, the kind that lights up marquees and fills arenas.

Yet, there’s more than just titles at stake. Golden Boy’s recent history of cross-promotional ventures opens a treasure trove of possibilities. They’ve built bridges with Premier Boxing Champions, producing some of the most electrifying events in recent memory. Last year’s megafight between PBC’s Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Golden Boy’s Ryan Garcia, culminated in a breathtaking body shot finish.

And the hits keep coming. This year saw Golden Boy middleweight Jaime Munguia step into the ring with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez under the PBC banner on a Prime Video card in Las Vegas. Such collaborations aren’t just events; they’re experiences, the kind that can elevate Stevenson’s career to stratospheric heights. With the landscape of boxing shifting beneath our feet, one thing is clear: Shakur Stevenson stands on the brink of a new chapter, and Oscar De La Hoya is eager to turn the page with him.