Matchroom has signed WBC light-weight champion Shakur Stevenson to a promotional deal for his subsequent battle in opposition to Joe Cordina on October twelfth on the Kingdom Enviornment in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Promoter Eddie Hearn isn’t saying if it is a one-fight or long-term cope with the 27-year-old Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) with Matchroom. Given the final two performances by Shakur, it will be wiser for Hearn to give attention to one-fight offers simply in case he begins shedding.
Hearn says he desires to show Shakur right into a celebrity however has a tricky job as a result of he can’t do it on hype. Shakur has received to win over followers along with his performances, and he’s failed to try this within the professionals or the amateurs.
He’s by no means been entertaining to look at, and it requires a particular kind of followers who get pleasure from watching fighters that hit and run. Shakur’s type would possibly go over properly within the UK, with him being a retro-version of Naseem Hamed minus the ability and showmanship that he possessed.
The Shakur-Cordina winner will defend in opposition to #1 WBC contender William Zepeda in a battle that can be ultra-tough for both man. That might be the hurdle that Shakur would wish to get previous for him an opportunity to face Gervonta Davis subsequent 12 months if a deal will be reached between them.
“I’ve made it clear that I need the largest names and the largest fights within the sport,” stated Shakur. “Deliver on William Zepeda on the prime of 2025, and I’m prepared for anybody who’s courageous sufficient to step within the ring with me. There have been few keen to tackle that problem in recent times.”
Fighters aren’t afraid of Shakur. They’re anxious about him transferring across the ring all evening, touchdown pecking pictures, and being given a questionable determination, like in his battle in opposition to Edwin De Los Santos.
That efficiency by Shakur poisoned the properly, making him an outcast among the many prime fighters at 135, who don’t like the concept of chasing a fighter who’s afraid to have interaction across the ring for twelve rounds. His Excellency Turki Alalshikh gave Shakur the monicker, ‘Outlaw,’ however ‘Outcast’ or ‘Pariah’ can be extra becoming.
“This younger man must be a world celebrity, and I imagine with our machine behind him, he’ll land all the massive fights and obtain all of the credit score that he deserves,” stated Hearn about Shakur. “The journey begins on October 12 in Riyadh on an enormous card, and we can’t look ahead to the long run collectively.”
It’s not possible to pressure followers to love watching Shakur sufficient to show him right into a “international celebrity” like Hearn would really like him to be. In the event you strapped followers to a chair and took the channel changer away, they is likely to be keen to look at him, however he’s not must-see TV or somebody that followers would wish to pay to see on PPV except he had been on the undercard of a giant battle, just like the October twelfth match between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.
Followers count on extra from fighters now, and it’s not prefer it was when there was nothing else to look at for leisure. Shakur is all the time going to be somebody that solely a small choose variety of followers will wish to watch as a result of he doesn’t curiosity many followers preferring to see thrilling fighters like Gervonta Davis, William Zepeda, and Canelo Alvarez.
Stevenson has regarded very shaky since transferring as much as 135, and it doesn’t appear to be a great match for him to battle on this division. He’s not been crushed but, however he got here near in his battle in opposition to De Los Santos final November.
🚨 @ShakurStevenson has formally signed with @MatchroomBoxing 🙌 pic.twitter.com/FKxqONIjbu
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) August 22, 2024
