28 Oct 2026
It's ordered: WBO tells Shakur Stevenson to fight unbeaten Raymond Muratalla
The WBO has ordered negotiations between 140-pound champion Shakur Stevenson and his mandatory challenger Raymond Muratalla. The two sides have until November 16 to make a deal, or the fight goes to a purse bid.
Shakur Stevenson finally has a mandatory challenger. On October 27 the WBO officially ordered negotiations between Stevenson, its junior welterweight champion, and No. 1 contender Raymond Muratalla.
THE DEADLINE
The two camps have 20 days to agree on a deal, until Monday, November 16 at 4pm Atlantic time. If they can't agree, the WBO will order a purse bid, where promoters bid for the rights to stage the fight. Either side can also ask for a purse bid earlier.
25-0 VS 25-0
Both men are unbeaten. Stevenson won the WBO 140-pound title from Teofimo Lopez in January. Muratalla is 25-0 with 17 knockouts and gave up his IBF lightweight title in September to move up and chase this fight. His promoter, Top Rank, asked the WBO for the mandatory.
Muratalla is a pressure fighter. To win, he has to cut off the ring and drag Stevenson into exchanges without walking onto his counters.
WHAT ABOUT SHAKUR?
Stevenson walked away from Zuffa Boxing earlier this month without a single fight, so he is a free agent. DAZN and Jake Paul's Most Valuable Promotions are both reported to be interested in signing him. A Muratalla fight is unlikely to pay as much as the Devin Haney fight Stevenson chased for most of the year, so a deal is not guaranteed.
Fighters in this story