WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson says fans should tune in for his February 22 fight against Floyd Schofield in Riyadh to see “Vintage Cor.“
What Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) means by the “vintage” stuff of him can be translated as a symbol of him being on his bike, using a no-hitter and no-hitter approach to win a points decision.
It might mean something if “vintage” Shakur had an exciting, brawling style that fans could look forward to, but he was never that type of fighter.
Stevenson has had an old fashioned fighting style similar to Mayweather's since he came out of the Olympics. It's like a musician from the 1940s stepping into a time period into the 21st century.
Can Shakur entertain?
For Stevenson, it's important to make it entertaining because this is Turki Al Sheikh's card, and there will be a lot of boxing fans clamoring for the contest, which will be shown live on DAZN.
If Shakur wants to headline some future shows instead of being buried on the undercard like with the February 22 card, he needs to stay in the pocket and trade with the 22-year-old Schofield (18-0, 12 KOs). He needs to put his chin on the line to make it entertaining for the fans if he wants a higher spot on Turkey's future cards.
He wants fighters that entertain the fans, and Shakur doesn't meet that criteria, or at least hasn't in the past. It's not too late for Stevenson to turn over a new leaf and become a pocket fighter, but I don't think he can. He's got a lot of rabbits in him.
“Kid Austin is 22. Tommy Hearn fought Ray Leonard at 21 (Correction: Thomas Hittman Hearn first fought Sugar Ray Leonard when he was 22 years and 10 months old on September 16, 1981). I'm not getting involved in that. “Manny Pacquiao was champion when he was 19, and Floyd Mayweather was 21,” Stephen Edwards said. Fighthype When asked if Floyd Schofield was too young at 22 to fight WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson.
“(Mike) Tyson was a champion at 20. Muhammad Ali was 22. Salvador Sanchez was 20. I could go down the list,” Edwards said. “Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad. I think he was a champion when he was 20 years old. Even Canelo and Eno. They are two of the best men of this era. “They won championships at 20 and 21 years old.”
Stephen is not saying that these fighters were much better than Schofield, and they looked great before they won their first world titles. They weren't struggling against lower class fighters like Schofield did. This is something Edwards ignores when he mentions great fighters of the past who won world titles at a young age.
“Is it a tough fight? Yes. Will Shakur be a banned favorite? Yes,” Edwards said of Stevenson vs. Schofield on February 22. “Did Kid Austin struggle in his last fight (against Rene Tellez Giron)? Yes. I still give him (Kid Austin) credit for getting this fight. Sometimes, you want to fight these battles in your best physical condition.
“Sometimes young people overcome a lot of things, and they seem confident,” Edwards said of Schofield and his father, Floyd Sr. Let them fight. I never say that. I never try to stop a man from wanting to fight. If you think you're good enough, go out there and fight. Do I think he will win?
“I actually think Shakur is one of the 10 to 12 best fighters on the planet. Shakur is a special guy, too. But athletic, tough guys tend to have tough fights with smooth boxers. Shawn Porter has had tough fights with everyone, and this is more What Kid Austin reminds me of: Tim Bradley is in the Hall of Fame: “He was tough and athletic and gave everyone a tough fight,” Edwards said.
Is Shakur overrated?
Stevenson is not one of the best fighters on the planet, not even close. His fighting style is not the best in boxing, nor is he fun to watch. He's a defensive guy, that's it. To be one of the best fighters in the sport, you have to balance offense and defense.
Shakur is only defensive. 95% defense and 5% attack. His close win over Edwin de los Santos last year showed that he's not one of the best fighters on the planet because if he was, he would have been dominated instead of being booed outside of T-Mobile Arena that night in Las Vegas. Edwards made a mistake.
Schofield's previous chances of winning were by being aggressive, landing hard shots, and constantly pressuring Shakur in every round of the fight. He should be good at cutting off the ring because Stevenson will be constantly moving, as he always does, trying not to get hit.
February 22, Belt 2 Make sure you tune in to Watch me beat up Kid Austin like he stole something… Vintage Core is back 🦾
-Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) December 24, 2024
