Promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed his interest in signing Shakur Stevenson to his Matchroom company following Shakur’s next defense of the WBC lightweight title on July 6.
A partnership with Hearn may not be a viable option for Shakur and could be a disaster for Matchroom unless they can get him at a bargain basement price. Shakur would likely want a gigantic contract if it was a long-term deal, and it’s doubtful that it would be worth it for Matchroom if his fights weren’t generating revenue.
Hearn believes that Shakur received a “terrible” promotion and that at this point in his seven-year professional career he should be a “gigantic star” in the US. However, he lacked details on who Stevenson (21-0, 10 KO) would face to turn him into a superstar should he sign with Matchroom.
Hearn’s 140-pound squad offers confined options
Most of the fighters Hearn has signed with Matchroom in Shakur’s weight class compete at 140. The only fighter Hearn has at 135 is the Cuban Andy Cruzand it’s not a gigantic name. Cruz is a risky fight for Shakur because he has the same defensive style and excellent hand speed.
It is unlikely that Shakur has any plans to fight Andy Cruz. Shakur wants fights that would pay off against Tank Davis, Ryan Garcia, Teofimo Lopez, Vasily Lomachenko and Devin Haney. If he signs with Hearn’s Matchroom, he won’t be content fighting Andy Cruz or 140-pounders who aren’t popular.
Hearn’s 140 fighters:
Jack Catterall Liam Paro Subriel Matias Richardson Hitchins
Hearn states that he believes the fight between Shakur and WBA lightweight champion Gervonta “Tank” Davis is the right one, but his ability to arrange the match will depend on the interest of the PBC and Tank.
So far, they have shown no desire to match Tank Shakur. Whether this will change or not remains to be seen. This is a fight that could ruin Shakur’s modest popularity if he runs away from Tank for 12 rounds and gets booed out of the pub like he was against Edwin De Los Santos.
Losing such a battle would forever ruin Shaku’s popularity, as he was already widely criticized for constantly running in fights against Edwin De Los Santos, Jeremiah Nakathilia, Oscar Valdez, Joet Gonzalez and Robson Conceição.
Dream fight: Stevenson vs. Tank Davis
“For me, the fight to go is Tank vs. Shakur Stevenson. I believe it is his [Shakur] last fight with Top Rank. There was a bit of flirting on social media,” Eddie Hearn said media about the desire to sign a contract with WBC lightweight world champion Shakur Stevenson and his Matchroom Boxing company.
Shakur must change his style to become a brawler in defense on July 6 against Artem Harutyunyan at the Prudential Center in Newark, Novel Jersey. Shakur needs to treat this fight as an audition for Hearn’s Matchroom.
If Shakur stays in the firing line throughout the fight and is willing to take punches, he could get the fight with Hearn. However, if he defects, as is often the case, Hearn may decide not to sign the contract and be stuck with this lemon.
“I think Shakur Stevenson is already a top-five fighter, no matter the weight class; he might be the best fighter in the world, and I think he’s come up huge. Nobody knows who he is, and a guy with his stature, his resume, his skills, he should be a huge star in America.”
Shakur is not a pound-for-pound fighter because he doesn’t interact with his opponents, which is a requirement for this list. Fighters who focus on safety rarely make it to the ranking lists because they are not popular and have not proven that they can fight.
Construction of an American power plant
“We have Bam Rodriguez and Jaron Ennis. If we can sign Shakur Stevenson, something stunning is happening in America,” Hearn said.
On paper it would look good if Hearn signed a contract with Shakur, but if he couldn’t fight Tank Davis, he would weaken and have to fight faceless opponents, or worse, he would be forced to move up to the 140 weight class, where he no longer has no power.
In a clash of forces between two world title contenders, NABO welterweight titleholder Alexis “Lex” Rocha (25-2-0, 16 KO) will put his skills to the test against undefeated knockout and NABF welterweight titleholder Raul “El Cugar “. Curiel (15-0, 13 KO).
The 10-round main event will take place on Saturday, December 14, live from the Toyota Arena in Ontario, California, and will be broadcast worldwide on DAZN.
“‘The best versus the best’ is Golden Boy’s mantra and that’s what fans will see as Rocha and Curiel take on everything that’s on the table,” said President and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Rocha is a veteran whose goal is to win the world title, Curiel is an undefeated blue-chip prospect with huge potential. It’s really a 50/50 fight and I’m looking forward to it.”
Tickets for the Rocha vs. match Curiel will go on sale on Friday, October 11 at 10 a.m. PT and will be priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, excluding applicable service fees. A confined number of Golden Boy VIP Experience tickets will also be available, including exclusive merchandise and fight night upgrades. Standard and VIP tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com, Toyota-arena.com, Goldenboy.com or at the Toyota Arena box office from Monday to Friday from 12:00 to 16:00
“I’ve seen Raul Curiel all these years and he never once mentioned my name,” Alexis Rocha said. “After my last defeat, he suddenly became interested in fighting me. If he thinks I’ve lost a step or somehow had an simple fight, he’s in for a rude awakening. I can’t wait to make a statement and show the world what I’m capable of.”
Santa Ana, California Rep. Alexis “Lex” Rocha comes from a struggling family. The younger brother of Ronny Rios, he was the youngest fighter to win a gold medal at the Junior Olympics at the age of 14 in 2012 and caught the attention of the boxing world by becoming a six-time national champion during his amateur career. Rocha signed with Golden Boy in January 2016 and made his professional debut in March 2016, defeating Jordan Rosario at the Belasco Theater in Los Angeles. Since then, he has amassed an enviable record of powerful knockouts over top contenders and plans to return to world title contention, with his last fight being a victory over undefeated Santiago Dominguez on July 19 last year.
“The fans can expect a war,” said Raul Curiel. “I’m going to prepare well to put on a great show. This will be the most essential fight of my career so far. I know Alexis is a great fighter, a good opponent and will also show up prepared. My focus is on Alexis and if I can beat him, I know it will give me a chance to fight for the world championship.
Former unified lightweight champion George Kambosos approached promoter Eddie Hearn asking for more massive fights.
Kambosos has signed a co-promotional deal with Eddie Hearn, under which the Greek-Australian slugger will continue his association with DiBella Entertainment Inc. and his own company, Ferocious Promotions.
The 21-3 star will move up to the super lightweight division of Matchroom Boxing’s lively division. He aims to become a two-weight world champion in early 2025, and as part of the deal, a title fight is promised as long as he continues to win.
Since his stunning victory over Teofimo Lopez, Kambosos has never shied away from competing against the best. Those three losses on his resume came to Devin Haney [twice] and Vasily Lomachenko, all at home and all for world titles.
The 31-year-old is now set to face compatriot Liam Paro after defending his IBF title against Richardson Hitchins in December in Puerto Rico.
“I am thrilled to be working with Matchroom Boxing. I am excited to have signed a three-way promotional cooperation agreement with my long-time promoter DiBella Entertainment Inc. and Ferocious Promotions,” Kambosos said.
“I made great success and history when I moved up the Matchroom shows by winning my UK elimination fight against Lee Selby. The most noteworthy and unforgettable is my victory against Teofimo at Madison Square Garden in Up-to-date York to become the 135-pound world champion.
“I am officially announcing that I will be moving up to 140 pounds and signing with Matchroom will ensure my continued success and the legacy I want to leave in the sport of boxing.”
Hearn, who adds an experienced campaigner to his stable, added: “I am delighted to welcome George to the team. George’s victory over Teofimo tore up the script and showed that George was the man for the massive time. He has proven to be a huge attraction in Australia and one of the real driving forces behind the rapid growth of boxing Down Under.
“The 140-pound division is full of massive names and massive potential fights. Adding George to the mix only elevates the level, and a possible fight with Liam Paro is a truly appetizing prospect. If Liam manages to win in a great fight against Richardson on December 7th [the fight could be on].
Lou DiBella, who has worked with Kambosos for years, said: “I’m glad I was able to make a deal with my antique buddy Eddie to work with George Kambosos Jr. and Ferocious Promotions.
“Throughout his career, George has been a fighter who has never shied away from a challenge, and now he wants to test himself against top junior welterweights.
Matchroom works with top 140-pounders, including George’s compatriot Liam Paro, and, like DiBella Entertainment, is heavily invested in Australia.
“It’s a natural partnership,” added the Up-to-date Yorker.
One of the hottest topics surrounding Mike Tyson’s return at the age of 58 was the possibility of the boxing legend scoring a knockout of Jake Paul.
WBN has weighed in on this topic several times, questioning the validity of five-second training clips that revealed nothing about Tyson’s abilities at this overdue age. One of the most intriguing observations during the preparations was the opinion of UFC commentator Daniel Cormier.
Speaking on his show “Funky and the Champ,” Cormier reflected on Tyson’s social media videos and offered an informed opinion on the meaning of the clips.
“I understand that [he is in amazing shape at 58]and I understand what he is saying [he feels as though he can compete]– Cormier said. “And I agree that when he hits the pads with Rafael Cordeiro, it looks like there’s still something left in him.
“But then I watch Jake Paul fight Mike Perry. I saw Jake Paul get overwhelmed to the point where he started to feel uncomfortable. It looked like Mike Perry had a chance. But Jake has a reserve tank he can go to and benefit from because he’s 28 years ancient. Then he comes back and finally finishes Mike Perry.
“At the beginning of the fight, Mike Perry gets beaten up and dropped. He looks trained and unmatched. This worries me because what if it looks like a 58-year-old man fighting a 28-year-old man while Mike can’t employ the backup tank to stay and compete with this newborn kid? I think it’s a failure for Jake Paul because if you beat Mike Tyson, everyone will love him.
He added: “What if Mike knocks him out? It’s over. Everything is ready. This would be the backfire of all time. If he gets knocked out, nothing like that has ever happened in the history of the sport.”
Unfortunately for Tyson, this revenge backfired spectacularly, as the former heavyweight champion’s return was the only event that bombed. Tyson had nothing left twenty years after he had nothing left in his tank and no desire to box in his mind.
Paul parlayed this into a money-making scheme that would forever be a success for him and his company, but would be poorly received by the die-hard boxing fraternity.
Cormier’s words resonate, especially after what happened in the ring when Mike Tyson struggled to shift into first gear, warning former fighters thinking about returning after 50.
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