Shakur Stevenson underwent hand surgery on Wednesday to repair tears in his sagittal band and collateral ligament, forcing him to withdraw from his WBC lightweight title defense against Joe Cordina, scheduled for October 12. The surgery took place at the Surgical Center of the Rockies in Colorado Springs, where Stevenson had been training for the bout. Stevenson is expected to be back in training within six to eight weeks, aiming for a February fight against lightweight contender William Zepeda.
Stevenson, 27, expressed disappointment over the postponement. "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 said in a statement.
The scheduled fight against Cordina would have served as the co-main event on the highly anticipated Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol undisputed light heavyweight championship card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Stevenson, a three-division champion and ranked No. 9 on ESPN’s pound-for-pound list, has been a rising star in the sport. His move from Top Rank to fight under the Riyadh Season banner with Matchroom added even more anticipation to the event.
Cordina, who suffered his first loss earlier this year to Anthony Cacace, was set for his fifth consecutive title fight against Stevenson. With this fight postponed, Cordina’s next steps remain uncertain.
Meanwhile, Mexico’s William Zepeda, ranked No. 3 by ESPN at lightweight, will continue his own journey towards a clash with Stevenson, preparing for a November 16 fight against former champion Tevin Farmer in Riyadh.
Read more here about the newly updated undercard of Bivol-Beterbiev here.
Image Credit: Julie Goldsticker