Eddie Hearn thinks Shakur Stevenson might be “unbeatable.” The Matchroom promoter can’t wait to signal the unbeaten WBC light-weight champion Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) to his secure and work his match-making magic to remodel him right into a star.
Hearn’s Imaginative and prescient for Stevenson’s Stardom
Hearn hasn’t stated who he desires to start scheduling Shakur to combat if he efficiently negotiates a deal to signal him as a result of his secure at 135 consists of 2020 Olympic gold medalist Andy Cruz, and he doubtless would beat him.
That’s not the kind of opposition Shakur is dreaming of combating, they usually wouldn’t wish to lose instantly in a non-PPV contest.
“Shakur Stevenson could also be unbeatable. Shakur is sensible. Generally, his type isn’t all-out aggressive, Arturo Gatti, however guess what? He’s successful these fights, combating them the best way he desires to combat,” stated Eddie Hearn to Secondsout.
Shakur’s combating type at 135 is safety-first as a result of they punch tougher and greater than the opposition he’s been feasting on at 126 and 130. When Shakur fought in these weight lessons, he had a measurement benefit over his opponents, permitting him to take their photographs and rating occasional knockouts.
At 135, Shakur can’t afford to combat aggressively towards these fighters as a result of they hit too onerous, and they might knock him out. He’s a fish out of water at light-weight, so he’s compelled to field greater than he ever did within the different weight lessons.
Dream Fights
“I believe while you see him combat Tank, perhaps even Zepeda, you’re going to see one of the best Shakur Stevenson,” Hearn stated. “I do know I could make him a star as a result of that’s straightforward for me.”
Hearn doubtless gained’t try and match Shakur towards #1 William Zepeda till after he places him within the cash combat towards Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis. As soon as that combat is out of the best way and Shakur doubtless soundly overwhelmed, Hearn may pull the set off on the Zepeda.
I doubt it, although. Hearn might want to rebuild Shakur as he did with Anthony Joshua after his second defeat towards Oleksandr Usyk. He’ll match Shakur towards three or 4 stiffs, construct his confidence, create pretend hype, after which push for a rematch with Tank Davis. In different phrases, it’s rinse and repeat. It’s simply enterprise.
“He charges extraordinarily nicely on ESPN. As I perceive it, it was a extremely good crowd in Newark,” stated Hearn concerning the 8,000+ followers that confirmed up for Shakur’s combat towards Artem Harutyunyan final Saturday night time. The venue holds 18,000. So, there was not fairly a half-full capability for Shakur-Harutyunyan in Shakur’s hometown.
It’s troublesome to take Hearn’s “unbeatable” feedback significantly, on condition that Shakur barely beat Edwin Del Los Santos final 12 months on November sixteenth, successful a twelve-round unanimous choice by the scores 115-113, 116-112, and 116-112.
The extra correct rating of the three was 115-113, and that ought to have gone the opposite method in De Los Santos’ favor as a result of he landed the tougher punches in each spherical and was the one pushing the combat towards Shakur, who was working from him.
This gamble might not finish nicely for Hearn if he indicators the 27-year-old Shakur, believing he’s going to construct him right into a “star” on the world stage, promote his fights on PPV to followers, considering they’re going to fortunately buy them to observe him run across the ring all night time.
Shakur performs keep-away in his fights, and that’s not star materials and positively not a fighter that’s “unbeatable.”
