Shakur Stevenson announces boxing retirement aged just 26 but some fans aren’t buying it

Lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson has claimed he has retired from boxing at just 26 years of age. However, some fans aren’t convinced just yet.

Stevenson is unbeaten with a fantastic record of 21-0 yet he announced he was finished with the sport in a social media post on Monday night.

The American wrote on X: “I’m officially retiring from the sport of boxing I’ll be in the gym forever perfecting my craft and helping the next generation become great and chase they dreams but I ain’t [f****** with] this weak boxing game.”

Stevenson was reacting to reports that the WBO has ordered Emanuel Navarrete and Denys Berinchyk to compete for the WBO lightweight title after it was vacated by Devin Haney. A move Stevenson described as ‘sickening’ and ‘disgusting’ in a previous tweet.

The Olympic silver medalist has grown frustrated in the belief that the biggest competitors in his weight class are refusing to meet him in the ring. Vasily Lomachenko is facing off with George Kambosos Jr for the IBF title in May, leaving Stevenson without a significant opponent.

Boxing fans have a theory

Yet, a lot of boxing fans are not buying Stevenson’s proposed retirement when so many big-money matches are still on the table, pointing to the short-lived retirements of Tyson Fury and Teofimo Lopez as examples.

Lopez announced a retirement plan last year but reversed his decision less than a month later when the WBO pushed him to follow through on his claim. Fury, meanwhile, has said he is retiring from the sport on numerous occasions only to pull the gloves back on.

One fan wrote on X: “Tyson Fury, Teofimo Lopez and now Shakur Stevenson – another retirement that I’m sure will be short-lived.”

“Shakur Stevenson’s shock retirement earlier today has already lasted longer than multiple Tyson Fury retirements,” another joked.

One asked: “Will Shakur Stevenson’s retirement last longer than Teofimo Lopez’s 29.5 day retirement?”

Another fan claimed Stevenson would be back before long: “Guarantee he’ll be fighting by next year. Shakur Stevenson is 26 & undefeated he tryna get the bag to come out of retirement.”

Yet, another didn’t believe it at all: “I don’t buy the fact that Shakur Stevenson announced his retirement at 26 years old..”