The World Boxing Council (WBC) has ordered a final lightweight elimination fight between Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz and Shakur Stevenson at the body’s annual convention in Acapulco, Mexico on Tuesday.
Isaac Cruz, Shakur Stevenson will be final elimination fight for Haney vs. Lomachenko undisputed clash
During the meeting, it was confirmed that the undisputed lightweight champion Devin Haney will defend all four 135-pound belts against former unified titleholder Vasyl Lomachenko.
After a Top Rank representative requested that Shakur Stevenson also become the next challenger for the undisputed throne, The board of the Council ruled that the Pitbull and Shakur teams must negotiate so that the winner fights against the winner of Haney vs. Lomachenko.
📝 Fights WBC ordered/approved today:
🥊 Deontay Wilder vs Andy Ruiz
🥊 Errol Spence vs Keith Thurman
🥊 David Benavidez vs Caleb Plant
🥊 Shakur Stevenson vs Isaac Cruz
🥊 Teofimo Lopez vs Sandor Martin
🥊 Sebastian Fundora vs Tony Harrison
🥊 Stephen Fulton-Brandon Figueroa II— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) November 9, 2022
Among other orders at the WBC convention: @ShakurStevenson vs. Isaac Cruz in a 135 final eliminator. #boxing
— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) November 9, 2022
Stevenson was stripped of his WBC and WBO featherweight belts after going over a pound and a half at the weigh-in for his fight against Robson Conceicao in September. After that he announced that he was going to move up in the division and that he was not going to fight anymore at 130 pounds, so both belts were vacated.
On the other hand, Cruz had two fights in 2022 in which he back-to-back knocked out Yuriorkis Gamboa and Eduardo “Zurdito” Ramírez. He recently announced his plans to return to action in March 2023 in pursuit of becoming a world champion.
Pitbull and Shakur for lightweight elimination bout After his victory over Ramírez, the boxer from the capital became the WBC silver champion and rose to the top five of the organization’s ranking.
“We have already won an eliminatory against Zurdito Ramírez”, Cruz said in an interview last week, “I would no longer see him make the case for another tie with Lomachenko. Lomachenko has been returning from inactivity for having been in the war and we have been active, and as the WBC ordered, it was our elimination fight.”
Pitbull Cruz is represented by Pacquiao Promotions and his fights are broadcast on Showtime Boxing. While Shakur is signed with Top Rank and the clashes of him are aired on ESPN.
