LAS VEGAS — In 2016, about seven months before he’d represent the U.S. in the Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Shakur Stevenson fought a nondescript opponent named Peter McGrail in a bout in the World Series of Boxing.
Stevenson had been touted for at least a year at that point as a guy who could end the more than 20-year gold medal drought for U.S. men.
But watching Stevenson make McGrail look silly, a different thought came to mind than a gold medal: This guy is boxing’s next big superstar.
Now, Stevenson hasn’t quite hit superstar status yet, but he’s 17-0 and fighting the biggest fight of his career on Saturday when he meets unbeaten Oscar Valdez in a WBC-WBO super featherweight unification bout.