Shakur Stevenson says people hate watching his fights because ““dominate” His opponents, and they don't like to see those kinds of contests. WBC lightweight champion Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) feels this is why fans hate watching him; He makes his battles one-sided.
What's interesting is how resistant Shakur is to change. He is unwilling to adapt his style to become fan-friendly and get the fights he wants. Stevenson will have done himself a world of good if he looked weak against Floyd Schofield and was dropped two or three times in their fight on February 22. That's all it takes to get the other fighters to confront him.
Shakur's needs change
– Stay in the pocket
– Throw more punches
– Focus on power
-Stop running
Building a global star
He signed with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom last summer and will make his debut for the company against Floyd Schofield on February 22 in Riyadh. Hearn believes he can turn Stevenson into a global star. However, this is how a British promoter acts when he signs anyone.
We saw the same thing from Hearn when he signed Jaron Ennis, Richardson Hitchens and Demetrius Andrade. None of these fighters became stars, and Hearn seemed to quickly lose his enthusiasm when they failed to become the superstars he had hoped for.
We'll likely see that soon when Shakur has a poor performance next month against Scofield. Hearn will stop mentioning Shakur's name, and he will be invisible.
Shakur, 27, is oblivious to why he's hated. He does not engage, fails to stay in the pocket, and fights in fear when confronted by forceful opponents.
The only men Stevenson dominates are slow, old fighters of marginal talent and no power. He is routinely booed in his fights and lacks the popularity or fighting style to get big names to fight him.
Fan perceptions
“They're not watching the game just for the knockout. They'll take the knockout if it comes. They'll love that, but they love seeing the flag too, and I appreciate them for that as well.” talkSport Boxing About British fans.
“I feel more comfortable with that (calling it boring).” You have to realize that every night, there will be no war. A style like mine and a guy like me, I'm very dominant. I just go in and take control. People don't like to see someone come in and dominate.
“I'm used to being the young, hungry lion. Now, I have another hungry lion who is younger than me. I definitely don't think he's hungrier than me,” Shakur said of the 22-year-old Floyd Schofield, whom he will fight on February 22.
Shakur, a native of Newark, New Jersey, will need to start getting used to being the older fighter as he approaches 30 years old. It won't be long before he becomes one of boxing's elder statesmen and will have a target on his back. For fighters who rely on their movement and reflexes, they don't last long in this sport.
Career path
“I'm trying to get the big names. I'm trying to get William Zepedas. I'm trying to get Vasiliy Lomachenko. If I can't get these guys, I've got to take the next guys in line. This is the guy who's been calling my phone the whole time,” Shakur said. .
Stevenson would have no problem landing the big names he mentioned if he wasn't a runner who is afraid to run and get booed outside the arenas. Fighters like Lomachenko, Zepeda and Gervonta Davis don't want to have to chase a runner around the ring while being booed by fans. They won't be booed.
He will be Shakur, and he will be a poison cup for the people watching. You can't blame the top fighters for not wanting anything to do with Stevenson because he doesn't show up to fight.
Hesitant to move up
“After we get past him (Schofield), I would say Zepeda and Gervonta Davis,” Shakur said of who he wants to fight the rest of the year in 2025 after he defends against Kid Austin. “I'm very comfortable at 135 pounds. We'll see after I get over the division,” Stevenson said when asked if he would move up in weight like Floyd Mayweather Jr. did.
Shakur isn't about to move up to 147 to face killers in this division because he can't get to 135, and he's already shown that he's very intimidated when fighting guys with power.
Although there aren't a lot of slackers at the top of today's welterweight division, fighters like Jaron “Boots” Ennis, Imantas Stanionis, and Brian Norman Jr. will feast on a weak, timid, finesse-level fighter like Shakur. He couldn't run far enough to keep it from reaching him. They will bring in Stevenson, hunt him down, and destroy him in that order.
