Shakur Stevenson vs. Franklin Manzanilla - OFF

[Ruthless-RKO]

Featherweight Shakur Stevenson, one of boxing's fastest-rising prospects, is getting the homecoming fight he has wanted.

Stevenson will take on Hairon Socarras in the 10-round main event of a Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card on July 13 (ESPN and ESPN Deportes, 10:30 p.m. with preliminaries streaming on ESPN+ beginning at 7 p.m. ET) at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, Top Rank announced on Monday in conjunction with a news conference.

Stevenson (11-0, 6 KOs), 21, a 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist, has fought three times in New York but not yet as a professional in nearby Newark, where he grew up.

"Newark, I'm coming home! I've wanted to fight at Prudential Center since my pro debut, and the time has finally come," Stevenson said. "I haven't fought in Newark in over four years, and I promise it will be worth the wait.

"On July 13, I'm going to show the ESPN audience and Hairon Socarras what Brick City is all about. Socarras is an undefeated fighter, but he has never been in the ring with anyone like me. This is my first main event, and my hometown fans are going to see the best Shakur Stevenson yet."

Stevenson is coming off his biggest win as a pro, a lopsided 10-round decision against former junior lightweight world title challenger Christopher Diaz on April 20 on the Terence Crawford-Amir Khan undercard at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Socarras (22-0-3, 13 KOs), 26, a Miami-based Cuban, has been a pro since 2011 but faced limited opposition. He is excited to step up in class.

"I am so excited to be on such a big stage," Socarras said. "I am looking forward to fight night. This is what boxing is about. I will bring my 'A' game and give it my all. I have a surprise for Shakur. I have the utmost respect for my opponent until the bell rings. Although my mother isn't here on earth any longer, I want to thank her for all the great years she gave me, and this one's for her. Thank you to ESPN for this platform and Top Rank for giving me a shot at their top prospect. I'm coming to win."

In the co-feature, bantamweight prospect Joshua Greer Jr. (20-1-1, 12 KOs), 24, of Chicago, will face Nikolai Potapov (20-1-1, 11 KOs), 29, a Russia native fighting out of New York, in a title eliminator for the No. 2 ranking in the IBF.

"I've been ready for these types of fights. I've been perfecting my craft every day, and I'm ready to put on a great show," Greer said. "I'm going to continue to be Mr. ESPN, and watch out -- I have something special planned for everyone who tunes in. Potapov looks like my toughest fight on paper, but he's an average fighter. I'm going to show that there are levels to this game. He will be exposed because I am on a different level. I'm the best fighter he ever fought."

The ESPN+ portion of the card will include 2008 Indian Olympic bronze medalist Vijender Singh (10-0, 7 KOs), 33, against an opponent to be named in an eight-round super middleweight fight and junior middleweight prospect Vikas "The Indian Tank" Krishan (2-0, 1 KO), 27, a 2012 and 2016 Indian Olympian, against an opponent to be named in a six-round bout.

[Best Coast]

Stevenson should win this easily, probably a lopsided/shutout decision. Socarras' unbeaten record is only numbers because he has faced mostly scrubs and 3 of them even held him to a draw. Basically a stay-busy fight for Shakur and clearly a step down from recent victim Christopher Diaz.

[oogiebe]

Stevenson should win this easily, probably a lopsided/shutout decision. Socarras' unbeaten record is only numbers because he has faced mostly scrubs and 3 of them even held him to a draw. Basically a stay-busy fight for Shakur and clearly a step down from recent victim Christopher Diaz.

Agreed. This one doesn't excite me one bit.

[Best Coast]

Agreed. This one doesn't excite me one bit.

A disappointing move by Arum IMO!! He has been gradually improving Shak's caliber of opposition in recent months but this is more of a typical, overrated opponent being fed to an Arum prospect!!

[oogiebe]

A disappointing move by Arum IMO!! He has been gradually improving Shak's caliber of opposition in recent months but this is more of a typical, overrated opponent being fed to an Arum prospect!!

Stay busy fight I'm assuming. Maybe better things to come in 3 or 4 months.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Stay busy fight I'm assuming. Maybe better things to come in 3 or 4 months.

Yeh. He’s headlining now. Homecoming fight too.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Shakur Stevenson Seeks New Opponent, Socarras Pulls Out

Miami’s Hairon Socarras has pulled out of their 10-round featherweight bout scheduled for July 13 at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Their fight, Stevenson’s first as a pro in his hometown, was announced Monday during a press conference in Newark.

Socarras didn’t attend the press conference, but the Cuban-born boxer had agreed to terms for a main event ESPN was to televise. Carl Moretti, vice president of boxing operations for Bob Arum’s Top Rank Inc., told BS.com on Sunday that Stevenson’s promoter is looking for an opponent to replace Socarras on about four weeks’ notice.

Moretti added that Top Rank wasn’t given a straight answer as to why Socarras (22-0-3, 14 KOs) withdrew from a fight against the 2016 Olympic silver medalist.

“I can confirm that [Socarras] has pulled out of the fight,” Moretti said. “I cannot confirm as to exactly why. I’ve heard so much bullsh*t from their team. I just wish they never would have accepted the fight in the first place. We will name a replacement shortly.”

Stevenson (11-0, 6 KOs) took the news in stride when discussing the situation with BS.com following the Tyson Fury-Tom Schwarz card Saturday night at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

“They said they wanted some more money or something like that,” Stevenson said. “I think he’s trying to price himself out. He don’t really wanna fight me. They’re trying to find me someone else.”

Socarras, 26, is unbeaten, but Stevenson would’ve been the toughest opponent of his career. Socarras has faced mostly a low level of opposition since he turned pro in February 2011.

Stevenson, who’ll turn 22 on June 28, produced the most impressive victory of his two-year pro career in his last fight. The skillful southpaw soundly beat Puerto Rico’s Christopher Diaz (24-2, 16 KOs) by unanimous decision in that bout, a 10-rounder April 20 at Madison Square Garden in New York.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Fast-rising featherweight prospect Shakur Stevenson will take on former world title challenger Franklin Manzanilla when Stevenson makes his hometown professional debut at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, on July 13.

Manzanilla, announced as Stevenson's opponent for the 10-round bout on Tuesday, replaces original opponent Hairon Socarras (22-0-3, 13 KOs), who dropped out of the fight over various unspecified issues, according to Top Rank.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Stevenson-Manzanilla will headline the Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card (ESPN and ESPN Deportes, 10:30 p.m. with preliminaries streaming on ESPN+ beginning at 7 p.m. ET). "It doesn't matter who I fight. I am ready to put on a show for my hometown," Stevenson said. "Newark is going to be out in full force, and I know a victory on July 13 will move me closer to a world title shot, which is my ultimate goal."

Stevenson (11-0, 6 KOs), a 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist, who turns 22 on Friday, has fought three times in New York but not yet as a professional in nearby Newark, where he grew up. He is coming off his biggest win as a pro, a lopsided 10-round decision against former junior lightweight world title challenger Christopher Diaz on April 20 on the Terence Crawford-Amir Khan undercard at Madison Square Garden in New York.

Manzanilla (18-5, 17 KOs), 30, of Colombia, will be fighting in the United States for the second time in a row. In his last fight, on Feb. 9, he challenged junior featherweight world titleholder Rey Vargas and lost a unanimous decision -- 1171-108 on all three scorecards -- in Indio, California, in a fight in which he knocked Vargas down in the second round.

"I fought for a world title against Rey Vargas in my last fight, and I let that opportunity slip away," Manzanilla said. "Against Shakur, I don't want that to happen to me again. It will be an honor to be in the ring with an Olympian on such a big stage. I am inspired to give the fans a great show and crash the party."

In the co-feature, bantamweight prospect Joshua Greer Jr. (20-1-1, 12 KOs), 25, of Chicago, will face Nikolai Potapov (20-1-1, 11 KOs), 29, a Russia native fighting out of New York, in a title eliminator for the No. 2 ranking in the IBF.

Top Rank also announced that the ESPN+ portion of the card will include:

• Vijender Singh (10-0, 7 KOs), 33, a 2008 Olympic bronze medalist from India and his country's only boxing medalist, will face Mike Snider (13-5-3, 8 KOs), 38, of Flemington, West Virginia, in an eight-round super middleweight bout. Singh will be fighting for the first time since December 2017.

• Lightweight prospect Joseph Adorno (12-0, 10 KOs), 20, of Allentown, Pennsylvania, will square off with Adriano Ramirez (10-3, 6 KOs), 35, of the Dominican Republic, in an eight-round bout.

• Junior middleweight Vito Mielnicki Jr., son of promoter Vito Mielnicki, will become the first New Jersey boxer to turn pro at the age of 17 when he faces Mississippi's Tamarcus Smith (2-2, 2 KOs), 24, in a four-rounder. Mielnicki was given a special exemption to turn pro at 17 from the New Jersey State Athletic Control Board.

• Junior welterweight Julian Rodriguez (16-0, 10 KOs), 24, of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, will return from a nearly two-year layoff to fight Hevinson Herrera (24-17-1, 18 KOs), 34, of Colombia, in a six-rounder.

• Junior welterweight Josue Vargas (13-1, 8 KOs), 21, who is from Puerto Rico and fights out Bronx, New York, will go for his eighth win in a row when he faces Manuel Lopez (14-3-1, 7 KOs), 28, of Denver, in an eight-round fight.

• Junior welterweight John Bauza (12-0, 5 KOs), 21, of North Bergen, New Jersey, will face Angel Sarinana (10-8-2, 4 KOs), 26, of Mexico, in an eight-rounder.

[jamamb]

coming up from 122 but not a bad replacment, beat ceja and dropped varhas

[diddy]

Another easy win.

[Ruthless-RKO]

coming up from 122 but not a bad replacment, beat ceja and dropped varhas

How was he against Vargas?

[world ranked]

Whoever picked Manzanilla in the poll has to be hater of Shakur.

[jamamb]

Whoever picked Manzanilla in the poll has to be hater of Shakur.

why would they hate shak u think?

[SenorPipino]

I don't know why he would be hated.

Comes across as a nice guy and a terrific prospect.

But fans always inexplicably have a bug up their arse for someone.

[Best Coast]

Stevenson could get some rounds in with Manzanilla. He should win easily enough but Socarras probably wouldnt have lasted long. That's probably why he punked out of the fight.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Eight days before his homecoming at Prudential Center, top featherweight contender Shakur Stevenson has a new opponent. Former world title challenger Franklin Manzanilla dropped out of the bout, and two-time world title challenger Alberto “Metro” Guevara will face Stevenson in the 10-round main event.