Ash-Shakur Nafi-Shahid Stevenson (born June 28, 1997) is an American professional boxer. He has won world championships in four weight classes, from featherweight to junior welterweight. He has held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and Ring magazine junior welterweight titles since 2026. As an amateur, he represented the United States at the 2016 Summer Olympics, winning the bantamweight silver medal.
In October 2019, Stevenson won his first major world title by defeating Joet Gonzalez for the vacant WBO featherweight title. Two years later, he captured the WBO super featherweight title, later unifying it with the WBC and The Ring super featherweight titles by defeating Óscar Valdez. In November 2023, Stevenson won the vacant WBC lightweight title to become the eighth boxer in history to be a three-division champion while also winning an Olympic medal. In January 2026, he moved up to junior welterweight and defeated Teofimo Lopez by unanimous decision to capture the WBO and Ring magazine junior welterweight titles, becoming a four-division world champion.
On July 9, 2026, Stevenson signed a landmark, multi-fight promotional deal with Zuffa Boxing.
Stevenson was born and raised in Newark, New Jersey. He was named after rapper Tupac Shakur, who was murdered nine months before Stevenson was born. Stevenson began boxing at age five under the guidance of his grandfather, Wali Moses, who ran a boxing gym in the city. Growing up, his favorite boxer was Andre Ward.
Stevenson enjoyed a highly successful amateur career, earning recognition as the AIBA Junior Male Boxer of the Year in 2013. At the national level, he won gold medals at the 2013 Junior World Team Open, the 2013 Junior Olympic National Championships, the 2014 Youth National Championships, and the 2015 Youth National Championships.
At the international level, Stevenson won the 2013 AIBA Junior World Championships, the 2014 AIBA Youth World Championships, and the 2014 Summer Youth Olympics, becoming the first American male boxer to claim both junior and youth world titles as well as a Youth Olympic gold medal. In 2015, aged 18, he won the senior U.S. Olympic trials, thus qualifying for the U.S. boxing team at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Entering the Olympics, Stevenson had an undefeated record of 23–0 at the international level. Competing at bantamweight, he won a silver medal, losing to Robeisy Ramírez of Cuba by split decision in the gold medal match. He was the highest-medaling male boxer for the United States at the Olympic Games since Andre Ward won gold in 2004.
Stevenson turned professional on February 9, 2017, signing a promotional contract with Top Rank. He signed Andre Ward as his manager.
Promoter Bob Arum told Ringtv that Stevenson would likely make his debut on a stacked card at the StubHub Center in Carson, California on April 22, 2017. Stevenson showed off his agility, defense and punching skills as he won his first professional fight against American boxer Edgar Brito. Stevenson won via fifth round technical decision. Brito was cut on the left eye after an accidental headbutt in round 2. In round 3, he was deducted a point for intentionally headbutting Stevenson. From his own intentional headbutts, Brito suffered a cut over his right eye. The ringside physician stopped the bout. Stevenson was ahead on all three judges scorecards and won every round.
In an official press release on May 3, it was confirmed that Stevenson would make his Madison Square Garden debut on undercard of the Terence Crawford vs. Félix Díaz on May 20, 2017. His opponent was announced as Argentine boxer Carlos Suarez (6–3–2, 1 KO). Stevenson won the bout after 2 minutes and 35 seconds of the first round. Suarez was knocked down before the stoppage. Stevenson's third bout took place at the Pinnacle Bank Arena in Lincoln, Nebraska, again on the undercard of Terence Crawford, this time his unification fight against Julius Indongo on August 19, 2017. Stevenson fought his second straight Argentine opponent, David Michel Paz (4–3) in a scheduled six-round fight. Stevenson easily outpointed Paz over 6 rounds winning 60–53 on all three scorecards. In round 5, Paz was knocked down following a straight left. Stevenson seemed comfortable and patient in letting the fight go the distance. On November 20, Top Rank confirmed 26-year-old Mexican Oscar Mendoza (4–2, 2 KOs) as Stevenson's opponent, which would take place on the undercard of Vasiliy Lomachenko vs. Guillermo Rigondeaux on December 9, 2017, at the Madison Square Garden Theater in New York City, New York.
Stevenson's first fight for 2018 was announced on February 7 to take place at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino's Grand Theater in Reno, Nevada on February 16 against Juan Tapia (8–1, 3 KOs) in a scheduled 8 round bout. Stevenson easily outpointed Tapia, winning 80–72 on all three judges' scorecards. Stevenson showed defensive improvements in the fight, boxed with his jab and worked to the body. He used the distance well, allowing Tapia to land only one punch at a time.
In August 2019, The WBO Championship Committee ordered Stevenson and Joet Gonzalez (23–0, 14 KOs) to fight for the vacant WBO featherweight title. The title was previously held by Óscar Valdez. The teams were given 30 days to negotiate and reach an agreement. It took the full 30 days but eventually Top Rank and Golden Boy Promotions, who promote Gonzalez, reached an agreement as reported by ESPN. The agreed date was October 26 and the event was to take place at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in Reno, Nevada. The fight was broadcast by ESPN+. There was real hatred from Gonzalez as at the time his younger sister was dating Stevenson.
The trash talk continued through to the weigh in. Stevenson weighed 126 pounds and Gonzalez stepped on the scales a little lighter at 125¼ pounds. On the night, in front of 2,828 fans, Stevenson outboxed Gonzalez, winning a unanimous decision with all three judges scoring the bout 119–109 in his favor. After the final bell, Stevenson attempted to reconcile with Gonzalez without success, saying, "I told him he's a helluva fighter. He didn't really want to talk to me, but it is what it is." He began to call for a unification fight with IBF champion Josh Warrington. Stevenson became the first 2016 Rio Olympics Team USA male fighter to win a world title. On July 9, 2020, Stevenson vacated his WBO title without making a single title defense, as he had moved up to the super featherweight division.
On June 9, 2020 Stevenson made his super featherweight debut by defeating Felix Caraballo via 6th round KO. The fight took place in Las Vegas. Caraballo was dropped in the opening round and again in round 6. The judges had Stevenson ahead 50–43, 50–44 and 50–44 at the time of stoppage. The fight drew a peak audience of 609,000 viewers.
In November 2020, Top Rank announced Stevenson would fight Toka Khan Clary (28–2, 19 KOs) on December 12 in a 10-round bout at The Bubble at the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. Stevenson originally came in over the limit at 130 ½ pounds, then stripped down and weighed 130 pounds. Kahn Clary weighed 129 pounds. Kahn Clary was on a three-fight win streak heading into the fight. Stevenson defeated Clary convincingly, winning the fight by a wide margin on the scorecards, with all three judges scoring the contest 100–90 in his favor. Stevenson landed 151 punches from the 514 thrown for a 29% connect rate. Kahn Clary only managed to land 48 of the 529 punches thrown for a very low 9% connect rate. The fight averaged 1,281,000 viewers.
After improving to 15–0, in April 2021, it was announced that Stevenson would next fight Jeremiah Nakathila (21–1, 17 KOs) on June 12, 2021, at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas. Nakathila was ranked #2 by the WBO at super featherweight. Stevenson stepped on the scales at 129.6 pounds and Nakathila officially weighed 129.4 pounds.
Stevenson knocked down Nakathila with a check hook in the fourth round of their fight, en route to a shutout unanimous decision victory to win the vacant WBO interim junior lightweight title. The bout attracted criticism from pundits and analysts, citing the low number of punches thrown by Stevenson leading to a lack of action. So few meaningful punches were thrown that the ESPN commentators Joe Tessitore, Tim Bradley and Andre Ward who were calling the fight criticized Stevenson during the live broadcast of the fight. Stevenson also admitted he did not like his performance and tried to get the stoppage. He then said he was being cautious in the fight due to Nakathila's power. The fight drew an average audience of 857,000 and peaked at 927,000.