Podcast host Teddy Atlas suspects that Top Rank didn’t want to re-sign Shakur Stevenson because it wasn’t good for business. They wouldn’t have let him near free agency if they wanted to keep Shakur.
Top Rank Hidden Agenda
Atlas believes that Top Rank deliberately matched Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) with a weaker opponent, Artem Harutyunyan, last Saturday night, knowing there was a high chance he would fail to impress with a victory. They knew he would win but show his flaws.
Shakur could have impressed by destroying Harutyunyan, but that’s not his style. He tried to score a knockout, but it didn’t work out, and ended up looking frail as usual.
Based on this performance, Atlas believes that Shakur may have a challenging time finding another promoter interested in signing him unless they can produce Gervonta “Tank” Davis for him, which would bring in a lot of money in a one-fight deal. Besides, Shakur is not worth paying very much, and his fights do not generate viewership, sell tickets, or do well on PPV.
Atlas Questions Top Rank’s Motives
“I don’t think they wanted to sign him. They let him become a free agent,” Teddy Atlas said on his Youtube channel that he believes Top Rank is not interested in re-signing Shakur Stevenson.
“If they wanted him, they wouldn’t have let him go this far. They picked an opponent who wasn’t that tough,” Atlas told Top Rank, choosing the straightforward option of giving him Artem Harutyunyan for Shakur’s final fight under his contract with them.
Shakur probably wanted a huge contract for him to extend his contract with Top Rank, which wouldn’t make sense for them unless he became a PPV attraction and they managed to match him up with Tank Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Stevenson likely would have never gained popularity on PPV shows if he hadn’t fought these two, and it’s doubtful Top Rank would have been able to make those fights happen.
“If they really wanted to get rid of him, they could have put him with a guy they thought could beat him, because then they would know he was leaving. So they’re trying to trick him into leaving. They know that, and they can’t afford to pay for it,” Atlas said.
“So they went a different route. ‘Let’s give him a guy to shine with,’ and I think they thought he wouldn’t, because they know who he is. He’s got incredible talent, but he’s not invigorating.
“You give him a guy he can dismantle, but you also know he can show his flaws. It’s the entertainment business. He’ll show why we let his contract expire. Top Rank made him a millionaire,” Atlas said of Shakur.
Stevenson likely didn’t get the money in his Top Rank contract that we saw Ryan Garcia get for his one-fight with Tank Davis. Shakur’s failure to become a PPV attraction for Top Rank hurt his ability to make money.
“They put him in a sink-or-swim fight and they see if he’s going to interest people, and again they’re clamoring and the networks are clamoring to put him in. I don’t know many people who would pay $80 for a PPV for him,” Atlas said of Shakur.
Stevenson’s performance against Hartuyunyan may not hurt his marketability if a potential promoter like Matchroom, PBC or Mayweather Promotions can train Tank Davis or protect him long enough to turn him into another Floyd clone.
Shakur doesn’t have Mayweather’s talent, but he’s as arrogant as he was during his career, and he has a similar way of drawing fans who want to see him fail.
Stevenson’s Marketability and Future Options
“If that’s the case, why would Top Rank want to re-sign him? It’s business. It’s about how many venues they can sell and how many PPVs they can sell. If that was their goal, they achieved it,” Atlas said of Top Rank, which placed Shakur with a fighter it was supposed to dominate but didn’t, lowering his marketability when he left for free agency.
It’s not Top Rank’s fault that Shakur failed to impress the fighter he was supposed to dominate. If Shakur is what he tells his fans, he should have destroyed Harutyunyan, considering he’s a fringe contender after losing to Frank Martin.
This was someone other lightweights would have easily defeated. Even 20-year-old prospect Abdullah Mason would probably have easily dealt with Harutyunyanm, but he is not ranked in the top 15 in the lightweight division.
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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