Eight days before his homecoming at Newark, New Jersey's Prudential Center, undefeated featherweight Shakur Stevenson got another replacement opponent. Franklin Manzanilla has dropped out of the bout, and Manzanilla was replacing Hairon Socarras.  Stevenson is now scheduled to battle Alberto “Metro” Guevara in the ten-round main event. Guevara (27-4, 12, KOs), from Mazatlan, Mexico, has twice challenged for a bantamweight world title, dropping a competitive decision to Leo Santa Cruz in December 2012 and getting knocked out in nine rounds by Japan's Shinsuke Yamanaka in November 2013. He is 9-2 with six knockouts since the Yamanaka defeat, with those losses coming against a former champion (Hugo Ruiz) and a fighter who would go on to capture a world title (Emmanuel Rodriguez). Stevenson-Guevara and the IBF bantamweight eliminator for the #2 ranking featuring Joshua Greer Jr. and Nikolai Potapov will be televised live on ESPN and ESPN Deportes beginning at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT. The entire undercard will stream live on ESPN+ starting at 7 p.m. ET.

 

“I give Alberto Guevara credit for taking this fight when so many fighters won’t step into the ring with me,” Stevenson said. “He’s been in there with some great fighters, even world champions, but nothing can prepare him for me. No matter the opponent, I am going to put on a special performance for my hometown and everyone watching on ESPN on July 13.”

 

“When I was offered this fight, I did not hesitate. I want to fight the best, and Shakur Stevenson is a very good young fighter,” Guevara said. “The hometown crowd will not phase me. I’m coming to shock the boxing world.”

 

Stevenson (11-0, 6 KOs), a 2016 Olympic silver medalist, graduated from prospect to contender status in 2018, knocking out Viorel Simion in one round. Stevenson shined on the Crawford-Amir Khan pay-per-view undercard April 20th at Madison Square Garden, dominating respected Christopher Diaz over ten rounds.