Shakur Stevenson finalizing return against Shuichiro Yoshino for April 8th

Shakur Stevenson's return to the boxing ring has nearly been made official.

The former Olympian has been out of action since his clash with Robson Conceicao in September. Prior to the fight, Stevenson missed weight which led to him being stripped of his WBC, WBO, and The Ring super featherweight gold.

As a result, the titles were only on the line for the Brazilian in September, but it didn't matter. In classic fashion for Stevenson, he dominated his foe with his blistering speed and defensive prowess as he went on to win by unanimous decision.

Given his titles being gone, and his weight issues only getting worse, Shakur Stevenson announced post-fight that he would move up to lightweight. The announcement thrilled fans, given names such as Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, and Gervonta Davis dominating the weight class.

For his lightweight debut, the Olympian will face Shuichiro Yoshino. The news was first reported by Mike Coppinger of ESPN. The pair will face off in a lightweight title eliminator on April 8th. No venue or destination has been finalized for the event.

The announcement is just another in a long line of massive fights in April. Already slated for the month is the super fight between Ryan Garcia and Gervonta Davis, and Errol Spence Jr.'s return against Keith Thurman.

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Who is Shakur Stevenson's new opponent?

It's hard to find anyone who can match up with Shakur Stevenson, but Shuichiro Yoshino is a solid challenge.

The 31-year-old has never fought outside of Japan but has beaten some excellent names inside it. Last time out, Yoshino faced a top contender in Masayoshi Nakatani. The latter has competed against names such as Vasyl Lomachenko and Teofimo Lopez in the past.

Last November, Shuichiro Yoshino picked up the biggest victory of his career in stunning fashion with a sensational knockout. Furthermore, his sixth-round finish outdid the work of 'The Takeover' and 'Loma'.

As far as what Shakur Stevenson thinks of his new opponent, one has to look to his recent appearance on The DAZN Boxing Show. There, he assessed Yoshino as a possible foe, stating:

“And then [Nakatani] fought Yoshino, and [Yoshino] stopped him faster than anybody. And he actually really knocked him out or something like that. So, we know he got power. We know he’s tough. And for him to beat that dude [Nakatani] – and he beat [Masayuki] Ito – it let us know that he solid.”