Paulie Malignaggi believes Shakur Stevenson still needs to find a big dance partner to become a pay-per-view superstar.Stevenson is one of the sport’s most technically gifted fighters, with the unbeaten American ranked in the upper echelons of the pound-for-pound rankings.Mayweather has tipped Stevenson to reach the top of the sportTerence Crawford - InstagramHe claimed a fantastic victory over Teofimo Lopez in his last outing to win the WBO super-lightweight world title and conquer a third weight class.The Newark native signed before immediately splitting with Dana White’s Zuffa Boxing after failing to land big fights with Manny Pacquiao and Devin Haney.Having been tipped by retired boxing legend 50-0 Mayweather to be the heir to his throne, there is now pressure on Stevenson to become a money-making box office machine.And many have suggested that the American could fight on a freelance basis, just as the Mayweather did when becoming one of boxing’s richest fighters ever.However former world champion Malignaggi believes a showdown with Ryan Garcia in the future, would be the key ingredient to unlock a new level of commercial profitability.Malignaggi explained to talkSPORT.com: “Shakur is a very good fighter. Like I said, probably the best in the sport.“I don’t know if he has that popularity to just break away on his own yet. He’s going to need that chess piece.And unfortunately, that chess piece is probably also a bigger guy like it was for Floyd Mayweather. “It’s probably Ryan Garcia. But we’ve already seen Shakur say that he’s not quite ready to go to the welterweight division yet. That’s fine.But I’ll say that without that sort of chess piece, it’s difficult to gain the popularity Shakur needs.Malignaggi thinks sharing the ring with Garcia can propel Stevenson into new stardomGetty“I think today, again, with the advent of the internet once again, there is opportunities to sort of get popular.“But there’s going to be some things Shakur’s going to have to do to become a pay-per-view star. “I think he’s the best fighter in or around those weight classes. But if he’s not a full-fledged welterweight, it is a little bit of a risk. Maybe he should have taken on the Devin Haney fight.”What is next for Stevenson?Stevenson has yet to commit to moving to 147lbs with plans to stay at his more comfortable super-lightweight.The WBO title holder has been ordered to defend his belt against Raymond Muratalla, but it is unclear if he will accept a deal or vacate the crown.He has been active in the gym despite his absence of a fight date, and has been working with Mayweather himself.Watch Boxing on DAZN*If you click a link in this boxout, we will earn affiliate revenueSign up to DAZN to access the definitive subscription for boxing fans.Upgrade to DAZN Ultimate from just £24.99/month, guaranteeing access to 185+ fights annually, a minimum of 12 pay-per-views at no extra cost, as well as every Lega Serie A match and other elite football access.Alternatively, DAZN Standard is just £15.99/month, with the caveat you will have to pay for pay-per-view events.Click here to sign up.But any official announcement is yet to be made although he has opened the door to any offers, with 2027 likely to be a big year for the leading talent.A queue of potential suitors has already emerged.