Lightweight sensation Shakur Stevenson will be fighting with a fresh new fit when he takes on Edwin De Los Santos on Nov. 16 to headline an ESPN show in Las Vegas.
The two-division world champion Stevenson has signed a sponsorship deal with Reebok, it was announced Thursday.
The partnership will be highlighted by a custom mid-cut boot with the boxer’s “SS” initials embroidered in the back. Stevenson will be sporting a fight-exclusive colorway when he steps into the ring.
“I think we’re great for each other,” Stevenson told FootwearNews. “They believe in me the same way I believe in myself, and I think that with them behind me, we’re going to be unstoppable. I’m going to lift up the brand and bring the brand a lot of eyes from the sport. It’s going to be an amazing partnership.”
The 2016 Olympics silver medalist Stevenson’s pact with the American fitness, footwear, and clothing brand will be front and center during the De Los Santos fight with potential to extend beyond that.
“I would definitely like a partnership with them long term,” said Stevenson. “I would like them to get behind me and we could come up with my own shoes – regular shoes, boxing shoes. And put together some nice gear, a bunch of different things. I’ve got a lot of ideas and I know they got a lot of ideas, too. Hopefully we can definitely make it a long-term deal.”
The 26-year-old Stevenson (20-0, 10 KOs) is Reebok’s latest high-profiled athlete endorser, joining Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields and LSU forward Angel Reese.
In October, Reebok appointed NBA Hall of Fame players Shaquille O’Neal as president of basketball and Allen Iverson as VP of basketball.
O’Neal – a Newark, New Jersey native, just like Stevenson – has long supported the southpaw’s burgeoning career.
“Shaq and [Iverson] were pulling strings behind the scenes,” said Stevenson. “I’m really cool and close with Shaq. I’ve known Shaq for a minute. We’ve got a great relationship and I know that he believes in me. And him being from Newark, I definitely know he’s got a lot to do with this. And I never met [Iverson], but I’ve always been the biggest fan. I love how he set trends, I enjoy watching him set his own trends and be himself throughout his whole career. I love watching his interviews when he’s talking about practice.”
On Friday, O’Neal posted an edited picture on Instagram with his face on it taking a punch from Stevenson in the ring accompanied with the caption “another knockout signing.”
Stevenson also curated a collection of his favorite apparel from Reebok called “Move Like Shakur.”
Reebok is owned by Authentic Brands Group, the parent company of brands such as Brooks Brothers, Eddie Bauer, Forever 21, Juicy Couture, Lucky Brand, Nautica, and Volcom.
Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.