Shakur Stevenson’s search for his next fight now has an opponent named by the WBO and a deadline attached.
Elsewhere, Adam Azim’s reported eliminator runs into an unsettled title picture, while Abel Sanchez questions whether Lomachenko’s undisputed ambition can outrun the calendar.
1. Stevenson’s freedom to choose now meets a mandatory deadline
Promotional freedom does not remove a champion’s obligations. The WBO ordered Stevenson and Raymond Muratalla to negotiate on Tuesday, with November 16 the deadline reported by BoxingScene’s Lance Pugmire. The organization’s own announcement identifies Muratalla as the designated mandatory challenger. There is no signed fight, date or venue in that development.
This is a concrete change from the stalled possibilities described in our October 6 coverage of Stevenson’s negotiations with Devin Haney. Muratalla has relinquished his IBF lightweight belt and moved into the WBO’s top position at 140 pounds. A negotiated agreement would settle the business privately; a purse bid would invite promoters to compete to stage it. That distinction matters: Top Rank represents Muratalla, but an order alone does not award Top Rank the event. Powcast’s view is that the next meaningful signal is an agreement or a formal bid, rather than another attractive name in an interview.
2. Azim’s reported eliminator offers progress without a settled destination
Adam Azim and Gabriel Valenzuela are set for a December 4 IBF eliminator at London’s Copper Box Arena, The Ring’s Declan Taylor reported Tuesday. The interesting complication sits above them: the vacant championship was supposed to be contested by Lindolfo Delgado and Arthur Biyarslanov in Riyadh, but that fight is off and its rescheduling remains unclear.
Azim versus Valenzuela would establish another contender’s position without resolving who ultimately holds the belt. Valenzuela also brings relevant experience rather than merely a recognizable record: he lost eliminators to Subriel Matias and Delgado in 2025, then stopped Rogelio Laguna in May. For Azim, winning would advance his case, but it would not itself make him champion. Taylor’s report describes a planned eliminator, with the full official event announcement still the next confirmation to watch.
3. Sanchez sees Lomachenko’s biggest opponent in the time between fights
Abel Sanchez’s warning about Vasiliy Lomachenko is about the length of the project, not just the age on his next fight poster. In a Fight Hub TV discussion reported Tuesday by BoxingNews24, the trainer said he would try to discourage the comeback because completing an undisputed campaign could take Lomachenko toward 40. That is Sanchez’s assessment, not an announced timetable or a medical judgment.
It supplies a competing perspective to our October 26 account of Lomachenko’s explanation for returning. Sanchez would support the boxer’s decision but wants an initial fight that lets Lomachenko assess himself before pursuing the biggest assignment. Charly Suarez remains a potential opponent in the reporting, with no official agreement announced.
Powcast’s reading: comeback readiness and the ability to finish a multi-fight championship plan are separate questions, and a successful first outing would answer only part of them.
Upcoming Fights: Philippine Time
Event starts are separate from ring walks. Estimated bout times remain subject to undercard progress.
Thursday, October 29, 2026
- ArAr Andales vs. Raito Kataoka
Time: 4:45 PM event start; individual bout time subject to undercard progress
Stakes: Vacant OPBF light flyweight championship
Location: Korakuen Hall, Tokyo, Japan
Saturday, October 31, 2026, Riyadh venue date
- David Picasso vs. Carl Jammes Martin
Time: To be announced; Philippine bout date and time require confirmation
Stakes: Announced undercard matchup; final weight and title designation require confirmation
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; arena to be reconfirmed
Sunday, November 1, 2026
- Canelo Alvarez vs. Christian Mbilli
Time: Approximately 4:30 AM estimated ring walks, converted from DAZN’s advertised 4:30 PM Eastern on October 31; broadcast start requires reconfirmation
Stakes: Mbilli’s WBC super middleweight championship
Location: Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; arena to be reconfirmed
Watch whether Stevenson and Muratalla reach terms before November 16.