Shakur Stevenson has signed a contract with Matchroom Boxing for his subsequent combat in opposition to former IBF tremendous featherweight champion Joe Cordina on October twelfth in a Riyadh Season occasion on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol on the Kingdom Enviornment in Saudi Arabia.
Some really feel this can be a demotion for Shakur, with him being relegated to undercard standing after two consecutive lackluster performances, nevertheless it’s extra of a case of his combat in opposition to Cordina being nowhere on the stage to take the highest spot from the Beterbiev-Bivol undisputed mild heavyweight championship bout. That combat is a distinct galaxy when it comes to high quality preventing.
Shakur will return to principal occasion standing in his subsequent combat in opposition to William Zepeda, offered he doesn’t lose to Cordina. You’ll be able to’t rule out a win for Cordina as a result of he’s one-fight faraway from being a world champion.
Hearn’s Excessive Hopes for Stevenson
Promoter Eddie Hearn believes he can remodel Shakur right into a celebrity within the U.S., however that might be thought as a result of his preventing type is outdated and extra suited to a distinct period earlier than cable tv, UFC, and social media. To be a star on this period, you’ve bought to entertain, and Shakur falls far in need of that mark.
It’s believed this can be a one-fight deal for WBC light-weight champion Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) to defend in opposition to Matchroom-promoted Cordina (17-1, 9 KOs) for His Excellency Turki Alalshikh’s occasion in Riyadh.
If Shakur wins, his subsequent title protection is anticipated to be in opposition to #1 ranked WBC contender William Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) in February. That’s the dangerous make-or-break one for Shakur, who has by no means fought anybody close to pretty much as good as Zepeda within the professional ranks, and the wheels may come off.
The Dream Match: Gervonta Davis
The combat that Hearn is chomping on the bit for is Gervonta Davis for Shakur in 2025, however he’s bought to get previous Cordina and Zepeda first earlier than they’ll sort out the negotiations for that combat. Even Cordina is a harmful combat for Shakur as a result of he’ll be swinging for the fences with nothing to worry. Cordina is deadly in opposition to non-punchers, and Shakur can’t crack eggs together with his pictures.
That might be troublesome to place collectively as a result of if Shakur insists on a 50-50 deal, the talks will implode, and he’ll be proper again the place he began; he’ll proceed struggling to change into a star. I don’t assume it’s potential to show Shakur into a real star on this period.
Followers anticipate to be entertained these days, and there are too many different issues to have a look at than watching a boring ‘Hit and don’t get hit’ fighter. Shakur would wrestle to achieve followers even throughout Mayweather’s period.
“Shakur Stevenson is 27 and already a three-division World champion and is likely to be unbeatable within the sport of boxing,” stated Hearn. “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. The journey begins on October 12 in Riyadh on an enormous card, and we can’t look ahead to the longer term collectively.”
This must be a great pairing so long as Hearn is keen to stay with Shakur by means of poor performances and losses to Zepeda and Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis. Hearn is great at hyping up his fighters’ contests.
When he has a man struggling and now not capable of maintain his head above the waterline, like Anthony Joshua, he can defend them with tender match-making. He might have to try this with Shakur if he indicators him to a long-term deal.
Shakur’s three division title wins:
- Edwin De Los Santos: WBC 135
- Jamel Herring: WBO 130
- Joet Gonzalez: WBO 126
