Archie Sharp is confident he could dethrone WBO super featherweight champion and believes his opportunity to challenge the American will come soon.
Sharp (20-0, 9 KOs), who is the number two rated contender with the WBO behind recently-crowned titlist, Stevenson, defends his WBO Global title against Alexis Boumeira Kabore on MTK’s Fight Night at York Hall on Friday, live on IFLTV YouTube and ESPN+ in the USA.
‘Sharpshooter’ is undefeated in 20 professional bouts and believes he has the tools to overcome the two-weight world champion, who ripped away the WBO crown with a comprehensive points win over Jamel Herring on Saturday.
“I can’t overlook the 29th at the end of the day,” Sharp told proboxing-fans.com.
“But, [I’ll get my world title shot] very, very soon, I’m on the ball with it.
“I’ve got to go and put on a show on Friday and I’ll be straight on the phone with my team [MTK Global], which obviously is the best team, but they know I’m screaming for that fight, the Shakur Stevenson fight.
“It looked like he [Herring] aged overnight unfortunately. Not taking nothing away from Shakur, because obviously he boxed well and got the job done, but I think Jamel made him look a lot better than what he was.
“He’s a great fighter don’t get me wrong. He’s a very, very good fighter, but the thing is so am I.
“I know my ability, it’s just a matter of getting the opportunity to fight these top fighters and show that I am an A-side fighter.
“I have always had the ability to be a world champion and that’s always been in my locker.
“I’m just blessed to be unbeaten still and not turning up with my A-game and still winning, that’s the difference. I can turn up without my A-game and still win, I can win on a B or a C.
“But, with Shakur I’d have to bring my A-game and I do believe I’d outbox Shakur, my boxing IQ is unbelievable.”
The 26-year-old overcame Diego Andrade by unanimous decision to claim the vacant WBO Global belt.
The Brit admits he has let his “ego” get the better of him in recent fights, but has vowed to put on a disciplined display against the 38-year-old.
“I think he’s going to get behind his jab,” Sharp added.
“He’s going to want to box, move and pile a bit of pressure on.
“It’s an interesting fight. There’s not much footage of him, so I’ve just got to go in there and be aware of all sorts of styles and get ready to adapt after the first 30 seconds.
“I think it’s about time I stop messing around and letting my ego get the best of me now.
“The art of boxing is to hit and not get hit. I can do that better than anyone and I just haven’t been showcasing that.
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“That is going to be me on Friday. I’m going to bring my A-game to the ring and get the win in great fashion.”
Watch the full interview with Archie Sharp below:
