The WBO World Championships Committee ordered its 140-pound champion, Shakur Stevenson, to begin negotiations for a mandatory title defense vs. its 135-pound champion, Raymond Muratalla (25-0). In August, Muratalla successfully defended his IBF lightweight title by defeating Brazil's Robson Conceicao. However, he quickly vacated the title in search of bigger fights, citing difficulty in making 135 pounds. According to the tweet by WBO president Gustavo Olivieri, the WBO has granted Muratalla's request to become the WBO mandatory one weight divisiojn up from lightweight. The WBO gave the two sides just twenty days to reach terms, with a potential purse bid to follow. A formal negotiation order notice will be issued shortly, and it remains to be seen whether Stevenson will accept the fight or risk being stripped.

An undefeated, four-division champion, Stevenson was allowed earlier this month to walk away from his promotional contract with Zuffa Boxing before even having one fight under the deal. The final straw in the three-month Zuffa / Stevenson relationship seemed to be that after agreeing to fight at 145 pounds, Stevenson was unwilling to move up the final two pounds to make a super fight against three-division, and current WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney as a full welterweight. 

 

Shakur released a YouTube video announcing the startling development: "I've been in camp for like eight weeks preparing for fights that I was told was going to happen and have not happened. It is what it is, this is the business of boxing. I'm not mad at anyone, I'm not pointing no fingers. But upon all of these issues and things going on, I requested to be released from Zuffa Boxing. Now over the weekend, my request has been granted and I am officially a free agent. I am now taking my career in my own hands and I'm starting my own promotional company. I'm  willing to work with other promoters and anybody else that's out there who is willing to be serious about my career, as I am. I'm excited to be in this position, to be starting a new journey, but the mission is still the same: I want the biggest fights available at 135 pounds or 140 pounds, where I hold my title. Give it a year or two and I will get to 147 pounds... I will get there but on my time."