Shakur Stevenson won an Olympic silver medal at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, and eight months later he made his professional debut for Top Rank.
Bob Arum, founder and CEO of Top Rank, signed Stevenson when he was 19, the only promoter the champion has ever worked with. Seven years later, their relationship is sure to change after Stevenson successfully defends his WBC lightweight title on Saturday against Artem Harutyunyan.
Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) dominated — he was a -3,500 favorite, according to ESPN BET — but he couldn’t secure the thrilling victory he wanted. Boos rang out at the end of the fight as Stevenson cruised to a unanimous decision victory over an underdog for the second straight time. This time, the boos came from his hometown fans at the Prudential Center in Newark, Up-to-date Jersey.
Stevenson, 27, said the taunts were aimed at Harutyunyan (12-2, 7 KOs) because he “didn’t really try to fight.” And while it’s true that neither Harutyunyan nor Edwin De Los Santos — Stevenson’s last opponent in November — pressed the action, the onus was on the immensely talented Stevenson to find a way to finish his opponent.
Now Stevenson will have to test his free agent position after a lackluster win that was not at all the performance he had hoped for.
Stevenson turned down a five-fight contract extension with Top Rank, sources told ESPN, because it would have guaranteed the boxer $3 million per fight.
He could sign with a rival promoter — PBC, Matchroom, Golden Boy, etc. — or remain a free agent and enjoy the flexibility offered by fighters like Devin Haney and his mentor, Terence Crawford.
“Honestly, I want to start my own promotional company and just work with promoters and do a lot of short-term stuff so I’m not locked in and tied to someone,” Stevenson told ESPN on June 30.
Stevenson lamented not getting the KO, and while he blamed Harutyunyan, he also looked inward. The champion said he needed to improve his ability to cut off the ring.
Outside the ring, Stevenson will be navigating uncharted waters. Eddie Hearn, the chairman of Matchroom Sport, has publicly expressed interest in a deal with Stevenson. There are sure to be plenty of other promoters who will also be after Stevenson. He is, after all, an undefeated champion, ranked No. 8 by ESPN pound-for-pound.
It looks like Stevenson is ready for a change.
Before Saturday’s fight, Stevenson felt Top Rank had not done enough to promote his fight with Harutyunyan because he declined a contract extension.
“I just feel like they want me to promote the fight and do the things that do the job that they’re supposed to do,” Stevenson said. “… I just feel like I’m not part of the promotional team anymore. … I just wish that at the end of my contract, if we were to start working, it would be better than this.
“I feel like they promoted me well until the end of my contract, until the moment my contract was about to end. And then everything started to drift and change.”
Still, Stevenson wasn’t ready to close the door on a reunion with Top Rank.
“Shakur Stevenson’s contract situation did not in any way impact Top Rank’s promotional efforts for his fight with Artem Harutyunyan,” Top Rank spokesman Evan Korn told ESPN. “Shakur is an incredibly talented fighter, and the passionate crowd at the Prudential Center was a testament to the efforts of both parties.”
Regardless, Stevenson knew he needed a mighty performance on Saturday, especially after a lackluster win over De Los Santos.
Stevenson defeated De Los Santos by scores of 115-113, 116-112, and 116-112, with boos echoing throughout the fight. Stevenson and De Los Santos failed to land double-digit punches in any of the 12 rounds.
Instead of returning to the ring sooner and putting his impoverished performance behind him, Stevenson waited eight months to fight Harutyunyan.
“I asked Top Rank, ‘Can I come back early?’ I had one more fight on my contract. And with everything with Top Rank, they wouldn’t let me do that,” Stevenson said. “They made sure I got pushed back to June, July. June was the original date they gave me. And then, somehow, it ended up being July. … I said, ‘Can I come back in March?’ Honestly, I wanted to come back right away … but they made me wait so long.
“I think I’m the best player on the roster and I didn’t take the offer they wanted, so I feel like they wanted to move me as far away as possible.”
Stevenson should have no one else to blame soon. As a promotional free agent, Stevenson will be calling the shots as he fights for the fight that has eluded him. ESPN’s top two fighters at Stevenson’s 135-pound weight, Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko, are in negotiations to fight each other this fall.
Lomachenko is also promoted by Top Rank, and Stevenson pushed for the fight but it never happened. Davis, one of boxing’s biggest stars, is with PBC.
Stevenson said he would explore a move up to 140 pounds “for the money fights” and mentioned Mexican Isaac Cruz, a champion who is building a gigantic fan base. He’s with PBC.
There’s also Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez. Lopez, who Top Rank promotes, is the 140-pound champion. Garcia is suspended until April 2025 and has said he won’t make 140. Haney could end up at 140, too.
Stevenson’s most appetizing, viable option may be Mexico’s William Zepeda, who put on another thrilling performance Saturday night, knocking out Giovanni Cabrera in the third round. Zepeda, a Golden Boy boxer, is one step away from a title shot.
“I haven’t spoken to Shakur,” Golden Boy Promotions founder and head promoter Oscar De La Hoya said on DAZN before Zepeda’s win. “I love his style. I love that he’s a very talented fighter. There’s no doubt about it. … I just feel like William Zepeda can beat anyone. … William Zepeda and Shakur Stevenson is a fight that people would like to see. … I’d like to work with Shakur Stevenson.”
Stevenson, meanwhile, has already won titles in three divisions. So what’s missing? Megafights, and now he won’t be burdened by boxing’s promotional politics as he seeks them out.
“I mean, I definitely don’t want to close the door, but I think [Top Rank is] more ready to close the door than I am,” Stevenson said. “So honestly, if they’re saying f— to me, they are. That’s how I feel.”
The official fight poster for Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach was briefly posted on social media by Tank before being removed in connection with the PPV fight that took place on December 14 at the Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.
The PPV price is not on the poster, but it will likely be the same $75.95 as Tank’s last fight with Frank Martin. Tank won’t want a pay cut. David Benavidez is not expected to star in another feature film like he did during Tank’s last fight. No matter what price organizers decide to sell the Tank-Roach event, it is not expected to perform well on PPV.
Fans of Program They don’t buy tank supporters who say none of the top players were available.
They simply see it as standard operating procedure for Tank Davis, who has been drafted this way throughout his 11-year professional career. The best names on Tank’s resume are Mario Barrios and Ryan Garcia. These were irrigation clauses.
People would be more tolerant of this fight if Tank’s last fight was against a tough opponent rather than another pick, but that’s not the case. Tank’s last fight was against Frank Martin, whom he knocked out in the eighth round last June after a 14-month break.
Tank’s last six opponents:
– Frank Martin –Ryan Garcia -Hector García – Rolando “Rolly” Romero – Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz – Mario Barrios
It doesn’t matter how great the fight poster looks for the Tank vs. event. Roach. Fans will still be critical of this fight and will not want to buy it on PPV. It’s a bad fight and Tank wasn’t giving people the fights they wanted.
NICK Ball finally overcame resistance from WBA featherweight title challenger Ronny Rios at the Echo Arena in Liverpool. Rios’ main cornerman stepped onto the ring apron, waved a towel, and pulled his fighter out of harm’s way at 2-06 of round 10.
Ball ran out of the blocks, firing large shots with both hands. Taller and bigger, Rios tried to crouch and trade, but the difference in firepower was immediately apparent as Ronny went down on the ropes in the second round. Ball left that session with a bloody nose, so Rios must have hit on something noteworthy.
The beating continued into the third period when Rios hit the canvas following an attack by Ball. He stood up and nodded to referee Bob Williams that he was ready for more punishment. Ball responded with an attack that seemed to last the rest of the round.
Rios had the better fifth, landing left hooks to the body and peppering Ball’s gushing nostrils as the Liverpool man took a breather. Rios was trailing in round seven, but dropped the decision when Ball caught his second wind and began throwing uppercuts, switching several positions for good measure. Rios, who later dropped to 34-5 (17 KO), finally collapsed in the 10th round as he was dragged through the ropes and stretched out.
“To be straightforward, I think I got a little carried away by the audience; I took a few too many shots,” said Ball, who improved his record to 21-0-1 (12 KOs).
“He’s a tough man, he’s back and I respect him. My nose always falls off, it’s boxing and there will always be nosebleeds.
Ball holds one of the four belts, and names like Rey Vargas and Naoya Inoue were later mentioned. A reunion appears to be on the cards, as is the long-held dream of fighting at Anfield.
Match results Nick Ball vs. Ronny Rios Undercard
Earlier in the evening, Jack Rafferty had lost most of the boxing match, but won the war, forcing Henry Turner to retire after the ninth round. Southpaw Turner was boxing well until he endured a heated ninth round of abuse that ultimately saw him fall to the canvas and finish the count with blood spilling from his nose. Between rounds, with Turner’s head spinning in despair, Alan Smith alerted referee Ron Kearney that the fight had to end.
Jack Turner knocked out Gonzalo Corinaldesi in the first round of a scheduled six-round match. Cuban talent Jadier Herrera needed a few rounds to loosen up before a left hand to the body of Oliver Flores knocked the Nicaraguan off balance.
Andrew Cain crushed Lazaro Casseres in the second round. Joe Cooper started the televised part of the gala with a powerful points victory over Łukasz Barabasz. Walter Fury outpointed Dale Arrowsmith in four rounds.
Previous winners included James McGivern, Lucas Biswana, Nelson Birchall, Brad Strand and Boma Brown.
WBA featherweight champion Nick Ball defended his title on Saturday night by repeatedly retiring and then interrupting a very good game to Ronny Rios. Although the 21-0-1 ball dominated the fight, his nose was badly busted throughout the fight. “My nose always hurts,” he said later. “It’s boxing, you’ll get a little nosebleed. That’s what makes champions.” This businesslike approach certainly served Ball well, as he impressed the hometown fans gathered at the M&S Bank Arena in Liverpool, England. Not that Ball had much bad to say about the defeated challenger after the fight ended in the tenth round.
“That’s what we train for,” Ball said. “Things like that, eliminate them. Hats off to him, he caught me with a few on my nose. Indeed, the 34-year-old Rios was nothing if not game. After a brutal opening part of the fight, the American fired back at Ball fiercely. But that wasn’t enough. With just 17 KOs in a 39-fight career, Rios simply didn’t have the firepower to stop the aggressive defending champion. With strength, power and an excellent game plan, Ball was simply one level better than Rios on Saturday.
While not known as a massive hitter himself, Ball was the epitome of piercing aggression on Saturday, starting from the opening bell. Firing an endless amount of powerful shots, it almost seemed like Ball was getting gassed. He didn’t do it. In fact, he was able to drop Rios in both the third and seventh rounds. Rios stood up on both occasions. Indeed, the man was even able to get back on his feet after Ball literally threw him through the ropes in the tenth set. But at this point, Team Rios had seen enough. They stopped the fight before their warrior suffered further damage.
After the match, Ball indicated that there was more work to be done at featherweight. “I have one of the four belts,” he said, “and it would be nice to get another one.”
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.Ok
Boxing3 months ago
Interviews5 months ago
MMA5 months ago
MMA5 months ago
UK Boxing5 months ago
MMA5 months ago
Video5 months ago
MMA5 months ago