Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn hopes to reel the enormous catfish Shakur Stevenson into his web with him attending the Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis vs. David Avanesyan occasion this Saturday evening, July thirteenth, on the Wells Fargo Middle in Philadelphia.
The Bait: A Promising Platform & Formidable Guarantees
No matter deal Hearn is planning to supply Shakur, it’s obtained to high the $15 million that Prime Rank supplied him to re-up for an additional hitch.
“Shakur Stevenson is without doubt one of the most talked about fighters on the earth,” stated Hearn to Secondsout’s YouTube channel. “I do know I could make him a star; that’s straightforward for me. I’ve obtained the dates, I’ve obtained the platform, I’ve obtained the megaphone – let’s do it.”
Assuming Shakur desires double that quantity, that’s some huge cash for Hearn to spend money on a fighter who might by no means turn out to be a PPV attraction and will lose as soon as he’s matched powerful for the primary time at light-weight in opposition to his #1 contender William Zepeda.
If Shakur will get overwhelmed proper off the bat in a brand new contract with Matchroom, hopefully, Hearn may have an emergency escape clause that enables him to chop him unfastened to keep away from being caught with him for an additional 4 to 6 fights.
Remodeling a Boring Fighter right into a Celebrity
Hearn is raring to signal WBC light-weight champion Shakur Stevenson and rapidly construct him right into a mega-star. He feels that his promotional work can accomplish this rapidly. Followers are skeptical of any promoter remodeling a boring fighter like Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) into a real bonafide star.
There are lots of boring fighters like Shakur within the sport, they usually don’t turn out to be stars. Hearn has an identical fighter to him, Richardson Hitchins, who has failed to realize any reputation with the identical risk-averse type and self-promoting.
The followers’ tastes have modified for the reason that Mayweather period, they usually now wish to see motion fighters like Gervonta Davis and Ryan Garcia. Shakur’s combating type is outdated. Shakur Stevenson is extra of a Mayweather and Devin Haney sort of fighter; he performs it secure and does the minimal to win.
Shakur’s contract with Prime Rank expired final weekend, and he rejected their $15 million provide to re-ink with them for 5 extra fights. Stevenson desires to signal with a promotional firm that may land him the granddaddy of fights, Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis. That’s the one which he prizes greater than any, and he thinks he can win.
It’s questionable whether or not Shakur can win, given his lack of energy and historical past of selecting to not have interaction when combating punchers. The Tank battle will nonetheless make some huge cash as a result of hype going into it, even when it fails to ship, leaving followers feeling ripped off like they did when Floyd Mayweather fought Manny Pacquiao.