The unbeaten American insists he outboxed his sparring partner, forcing a potential fight off the cards.
Shakur Stevenson is one of the hottest names on the boxing scene right now.
His most recent outing saw him claim super-lightweight honours to become a four-weight world champion.
After defeating Teofimo Lopez in a sensational performance, arguably the biggest name he has beaten in his career.
Throughout his climb to the top, Stevenson has been linked with some of boxing’s biggest stars, past and present, including Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis.
One high-profile matchup that never came to fruition was against Ukrainian legend Vasyl Lomachenko, who recently announced his retirement from the sport.
Stevenson believes he made a lasting impression on the former world champion during sparring sessions in their early careers.
An encounter that may have even steered Lomachenko away from a professional showdown.
The 28-year-old explained on Joe Rogan’s podcast: “I messed myself up. I kind of did this to myself, so I understand why a lot of fighters wouldn’t fight me.
“A lot of fighters wouldn’t fight me because I sparred with them, and I messed myself up. Like when I was trying to spar with him [Lomachenko] at that time, I never thought it would be a day when me and him would be fighting.
“Like, I didn’t think that far down the line. I really was just thinking he was the best fighter in boxing, number one pound-for-pound.”
When asked how the session played out, Shakur Stevenson added: “I felt like I was outboxing him.
“But I also knew the level he was on was like his conditioning. And that’s when it made me be like, ‘Okay, I got to be in, like, tip-top conditioning’.
“Because the first day we sparred, we did six rounds. I feel like it was like, ‘Okay, I can outbox him.’”
While a clash against the now-retired Lomachenko is off the cards, Stevenson now has plenty of options following his sensational victory over Lopez.
Many expected him to return to 130lbs, where he still held the WBC title, but he was unfortunately stripped of the belt.
Nonetheless, several major bouts remain in play, including a potential clash with WBC welterweight champion Ryan Garcia.
Shakur Stevenson says Vasiliy Lomachenko avoided fighting him because of their past sparring sessions 👀🗣️
🎥 @joerogan pic.twitter.com/pXTGgjaxvZ
— Source of Boxing (@Sourceofboxing) March 6, 2026
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