Promoter Eddie Hearn revealed today that he has signed Shakur Stevenson to a two-fight deal, with the first fight taking place on October 12th against Joe Cordina and the second against William Zepeda in February.
Hearn says that if Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) can “triumph” in his first two Matchroom fights against Cordina and Zepeda, he would be looking to land a mega-fight with Gervonta “Tank” Davis in the summer of 2025 in mid-2026. The Newark, Modern Jersey-born Shakur could miss out on that fight if he gets beaten by Cordina (17-1, 9 KOs) or WBC #1 Zepeda.
Brief-term contract: Hearn’s safety net?
As for why he only signed Shakur to a two-fight deal rather than a longer one, Hearn said he wanted him to have the freedom to decide whether he liked the deal with Matchroom, whether to sign a recent deal or leave if he was unhappy. However, that is likely Hearn’s decision escape route wash your hands of Shakur if he loses or looks bad in the fights with Cordina and Zepeda (31-0, 27 KO). He will look bad in both of those fights and that’s for sure.
The last thing Hearn needs is a beaten Shakur who will constantly remind him of the mistake of signing him with Matchroom. Hence the two-fight deal. Shakur will have a miniature two-fight stint with Hearn, so he can move on if he can’t beat Cordina and Zepeda.
Doubts About Stevenson’s Star Power
If Hearn had watched Shakur’s fight with Edwin De Los Santos last November, he would have known he wouldn’t become the “global star” he’s been spouting off about. He won’t be a star in the U.S. Fans in the States want to be entertained, and Shakur doesn’t meet their standards.
“I know boxing and I know how good this kid is,” Eddie Hearn told Matchroom Boxing YouTube channel, fueling interest in Shakur Stevenson, his recent fighter. “He could be unbeatable. I know he’s a pound-for-pound star. There’s something about Shakur’s mentality that makes me think he’ll beat anyone.”
Hearn shows his ignorance of American fighters when he says, “There’s something about Shakur’s mentality” that makes him believe he can beat “anyone.” Shakur is like many egotistical American fighters who brag about themselves but never live up to their word. There are plenty of them in the U.S.; Shakur is a textbook example.
“I think he’s been very underrated. I think he should be not just an American superstar, but a global superstar. I think he’s brave; I think he’s incredibly talented, and I’ll do everything I can to give him the platform and the promotional push that his ability deserves.”
Brief leash
“Shakur has a two-fight plan for Joe Cordina and if he wins, [William] Zepeda fight. We will show him our value during this period. We will work closely together and then we will move forward against Gervonta Davis and all the others,” Hearn said.
“I hope these two fights will be the end of Shakur Stevenson’s career with Matchroom. It would be an honour. So many promotions want to lock you into a three, four, five-year contract,” Hearn said when asked why he signed Shakur to just two fights.
Hearn sounds disingenuous in his comments about the justification for the two-fight deal he is offering Shakur. He must know that there is a high probability that Shakur will lose at least one of the two fights on his miniature contract with Matchroom, and if that happens, keeping him around would be pointless.
Shakur could end up being an unhappy, disgruntled fighter, criticizing Hearn on social media for his losses. Furthermore, if Hearn can’t prop up Shakur’s career with simple paydays against tender opposition after a loss to Zepeda or Cordina, Stevenson could end up being a grumpy little gremlin on social media, taking it out on the British promoter for not keeping him afloat like he did with Anthony Joshua.
“I understand a multi-year deal when you’re first in the game. I’m sure once you work with me, you’ll never want to work with anyone else, and if you’re not cheerful with the experience, that’s fine,” Hearn said, giving his best excuse for not giving Shakur a long-term contract. “You can go somewhere else,” Hearn said, giving his reason for giving Shakur a miniature, two-fight deal.
I don’t blame Hearn one bit for giving Shakur a short-term contract, because it would be crazy to give him a long-term one if he has doubts about beating Zepeda or Tank Davis. You only have to look at Shakur’s fights with De Los Santos, Jeremiah Nakathilia and Artem Harutyunyan to know he won’t beat Zepeda, and certainly not Tank Davis.
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.
Lauren Price MBE will defend her world title for the first time on Saturday, December 14 at the Exhibition Center in Liverpool, while the Welsh champion plans to stage an all-British unification clash with welterweight rival Natasha Jonas, which will headline the Collision Course that night.
Price defends her WBA welterweight title against undefeated Colombian challenger Bexcy Mateus on the same night as Jonas attempts to unify the IBF and WBC titles with Ivana Habazin as part of BOXXER’s ‘Collision Course’ fight night, which can be seen live and exclusively on Sky Sports in the UK UK and Ireland and Peacock in the US.
Price MBE (7-0, 1 KO) made history with an excellent performance, defeating former undisputed welterweight world ruler Jessica McCaskill in front of her fans in Cardiff in May.
Price, the first Welsh boxer to win Olympic gold, once again entered the record books by becoming the country’s first world champion in just her seventh professional fight. The 30-year-old from Ystrad Mynach, who has yet to lose a round as a professional, will now defend her world titles for the first time as she focuses on dominating the welterweight division.
Mateus (7-0, 6 KO), ranked No. 5 in the WBA rankings, is undefeated in the professional ranks and has won all but one of her seven fights by knockout. The 29-year-old from Bogota, fighting outside her native Colombia for the first time, will now have her first chance at global fame, with her goal to dethrone Price and take the top spot in the welterweight division.
Lauren Price said: “I’m excited to defend my belts and complete what has been an crucial year for me. I have full respect for Mateusz. I will prove that I am the best in the division and I will not let anything or anyone stand in my way of being undisputed.”
BOXXER Founder and CEO Ben Shalom said: “It’s a massive night for the women’s welterweight division with three world champions competing. Natasha Jonas returns to her hometown for a mandatory unification fight against Ivana Habazin, and Lauren Price defends her world titles against undefeated challenger Bexcy Mateus. The fight for the undisputed continues. If Natasha and Lauren win on December 14, it will set the stage for a massive “Battle Of Britain” world title unification fight next year.
There’s reason to celebrate as BOXXER delivers a Christmas cracker to end the year. In addition to the world championship fights between Natasha Jonas and Lauren Price, fight fans can expect a gala full of drama and entertainment.
Undefeated Irishman Stephen McKenna (15-0, 14 KO) will face English champion Lee Cutler (14-1, 7 KO) in an invigorating super welterweight fight for the silver WBC International title.
McKenna impressed fans in his three-round fight against Joe Laws last August at Oakwell Stadium in Barnsley. The two struck out in the first round, then McKenna began to apply the pressure, losing Laws three more times and maintaining his undefeated record after a third-round stoppage.
English cruiserweight champion Viddal Riley (11-0, 6 KO) returns to action from a rib injury that has kept him out of the ring since a career-best victory over Mikael Lawal in March. Riley will be looking to shake off the ring rust as he takes on high-profile opponents in the recent year.
Undefeated Chorley super middleweight Mark Jeffers (18-0, 5 KO) scored an explosive fifth-round knockout victory over Darren Johnston in May and will be looking to bring more drama to Liverpool’s Exhibition Center as he goes in search of his 19th professional win.
Mason Cartwright (20-4-1, 8 KO) from Cheshire, a former two-time British title challenger from Ellesmere Port, will be counting on local support as he returns to the title track.
After signing a promotional contract with BOXXER, local star Frankie Stringer (8-0, 1 KO) can achieve his third victory in 2024, when he returns in front of his fans in Liverpool. The 23-year-old lightweight fighter is a player of the notable city team Rotunda ABC, and his manager is former world champion Liam Smith.
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