The vacant WBO featherweight world title bout between Shakur Stevenson and Joet Gonzalez is boxing’s version of the Hatfields and McCoys, a long-simmering grudge match that will be settled Saturday evening at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center.
Stevenson (12-0, 7 KOs) is looking to become the first 2016 Olympian to win a major world title, while Gonzalez (23-0, 14 KOs) hopes to pull off the upset against his biggest nemesis.
In the 10-round co-feature, bantamweight contender Joshua “Don’t Blink” Greer Jr. (21-1-1, 12 KOs) will face former world title challenger Antonio Nieves (19-2-2, 11 KOs). The special feature will see female fighting sensation Mikaela Mayer (11-0, 4 KOs) defend her NABF super featherweight belt in a 10-round showdown against Alejandra Zamora (7-3, 1 KO).
At the final press conference Thursday, this is what the fighters had to say.
Shakur Stevenson
On Bob Arum’s praise and taking the short track to a world title shot
“That means the world {to me}. I feel like that’s the harder route. I feel like you could say whatever you want, but I feel like going pro and fighting a bunch of bums early in your career, I feel like that’s the easy route. I feel like I went to the Olympics and fought the higher level of competition, and that’s the reason I am who I am today.”
To Gonzalez: “I also think in 2012 when he was fighting them bums, I was a freshman in high school at the time, bro. So I understand why you’re mad at me, bro. It’s all good.”
Gonzalez’s response: “Ain’t nobody mad at you. Just show up Saturday and come to fight.”
On Joet’s experience
“I’m not sleeping on him. If I’m being honest, I always said Joet was good. Go look at my Tweets from two, three months ago. I always said he’s a good fighter. He was the one who got up there and said Shakur was overrated. Saturday, he gotta put up everything he said.”
Joet Gonzalez
Joet Gonzalez
“I most definitely had the harder road. Like you said, he was an Olympic silver medalist. He got the fast track. He got {a title shot} in two years. It took me seven years. I’ve been pro since 2012, so I’ve had the longer road. I have more experience. I’m older, more mature, and I think that is going to help me out Saturday night.”
“His biggest test, as a pro or an amateur, is obviously for a world title. He’s gonna have to do some crazy thing to beat me because I’m not leaving Saturday without that belt.”
“I’m just anxious because all the hard work, it’s already been done. Now we’re just counting down the days, letting the days go by. Tomorrow will be weigh-ins and Saturday will be fight time.”
On the personal beef with Shakur
“It fuels me because I was never the one to put this out there. The media, the public, they found out because of him. Just running his mouth. And now when they ask him about it, he don’t want to talk about it. So, it’s personal. It’s personal, just the things he’s done, the things he’s said, and he’ll pay for that on Saturday night.”
Shakur’s response: “It’s personal for him. I’m not going in the ring with a personal mindset. I’m going in the ring to win a world title, so that’s what I’m going to do to win this world title.”
Top Rank