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Atlas Suspicion: Top Rank Wanted to Get Rid of Shakur Stevenson

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Image: Shakur Stevenson Insists Tank Davis Has No Choice But to Fight Him

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.

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Boxing

Ryan Rozicki is waiting for Badou Jack’s consent to mandatory cooperation with the WBC

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Badou Jack Rozicki Mikaelian WBC

The World Boxing Council (WBC) ordered world cruiserweight champion Badou “The Ripper” Jack (20-1-1, 19 KO) to make a mandatory title defense against Ryan “The Bruiser” Rozicki (20-1), number 1 in the WBC ranking – 1, 19 KOs).

If both camps fail to successfully negotiate an agreement, the WBC will organize a tender on February 4, followed by the Jack vs. Rozicki. Rozicki’s promoter, Three Lions Promotions, immediately sent Team Jacek an offer to promote the fight in Canada last week.

“We are waiting for their counteroffer,” explained promoter Dan Otter of Three Lions Promotions. “Boxing has had a huge resurgence in Canada and Ryan is leading the way. He is one of the most electrifying and hardest-hitting fighters in boxing, definitely in the cruiserweight division. He wants the WBC green belt and ultimately the unification of the division. Ryan will fight Jack anywhere for the belt.”

29-year-old Rozicki, born in Sydney (Nova Scotia) and living in Hamilton (Ontario), fought 22 professional fights against 21 different opponents (twice against Yamil Alberto Peralta), stopping 19 of the 20 opponents he defeated. an eye-opening 95-KO percentage.

Jack, 41, was a 2008 Olympian representing his native Sweden. He is a three-division world champion, as well as the WBC super middleweight and World Boxing Association (WBA) lightweight heavyweight title holder. Jack has a record of 5-0-2 (2 KO) in world championship fights.

“We respect Jack and I don’t want to sound disrespectful,” Otter added, “but he’s over 40 years vintage and has been relatively inactive for two years (only one fight). He brings a lot of experience and respect to the ring, but he will fight a newborn defender with a lot of power. Jack is going to struggle and honestly, I don’t think he’ll make it past the first few rounds.”

Ryan Rozicki is on a mission to become the first Canadian cruiserweight world champion.

The next move is Badou Jack’s.

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Boxing

Floyd Mayweather’s record is not normal, it can’t happen in 70 years

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Floyd Mayweather 50-0

Floyd Mayweather’s incredible 50-0 record is not normal and cannot be repeated in sports for another seventy years.

This is the view of Saudi Arabian president Turki Alalshikh, who wants to adopt the UFC model in which fighters lose many fights during their career.

In a speech as he hosted the Ring Magazine Awards after acquiring the long-running boxing publication from Oscar De La Hoya, Alalshikh was unequivocal in his opinion.

“Now losing some fights in boxing must be normal,” he explained. “All fighters want a career similar to Floyd Mayweather – no losses. This may happen once every 50, 60 or 70 years.

“We need it [to be] like currently in the UFC model, where champions lose and win,” added the matchmaker during the Riyad season.

Mayweather rose through the sport in the tardy 1990s to become one of its youngest superstars. Mayweather’s professional success came after winning a bronze medal at the Olympics after losing to Serafim Todorov.

Winning world titles in five weight classes, Mayweather was untouchable. The Grand Rapids native only came close to defeat a few times. He dominated Manny Pacquiao and overtook Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya after heated debates, with decisions that should have been made unanimously.

Towards the end of his career, Mayweather chose to face Andre Berto and Conor McGregor, easily winning and ending his boxing career at the age of 50 without ever going out. Calling himself “the greatest of all time,” Mayweather earned first-ballot Hall of Fame honors and is widely considered one of, if not the greatest defensive fighter of all time.

However, Alalshikh says this type of career needs to end so that fans can get the most out of boxing, as is the case with the Ultimate Fighting Championship. Boxing needs to become more attractive, and Alalshikh sees the failures of top stars as a way to keep interest at an all-time high.

In this sport, many boxers enjoy undefeated streaks, the most notable of which is Oleksandr Usyk. The Ukrainian Pound for Pound King is 23-0 and has beaten the best he has to offer in his division and cruiserweight classification.

It remains a mystery how Alalshikh plans to make Usyk suffer while he dominates everyone else. By the time his grand plan goes into action, Usyk will be long gone, and Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Devin Haney may be more realistic targets.

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Manny Pacquiao remains the favorite to win the title against Mario Barrios

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Manny Pacquiao vs Barrios

WBN understands that despite alternative options emerging, it is more likely that Manny Pacquiao will face Mario Barrios next.

Bob Santos, coach of WBC welterweight champion Barrios, told World Boxing News that he is currently in contact with Pacquiao’s team. Asked by WBN if he had spoken to Pacquiao or representatives of any other challenger, Santos replied: “Yes, Pacquiao’s promoter, Sean Gibbons.” Pressed on whether Barrios vs Pacquiao might happen next, he added: “It’s challenging to say. We’ll have to see how this plays out.”

WBN contacted Santos after Conor Benn emerged as a potential alternative to Barrios. The British fighter, who recently returned from a suspension following two positive drug tests, is keen to return to competition.

Benn showed favor with the World Boxing Council at the recent WBC Convention, the WBC Evaluation Committee and during an interview with the sanctioning body over the weekend. “The Destroyer” is ranked second in the rankings at 147 pounds, despite less than solid opponents during his time in exile, during which Benn competed twice in the United States while his career in the United Kingdom was in doubt.

As he battled to clear his name and with the British Anti-Doping Authority finding no evidence that Benn had intentionally taken ostarine, the 28-year-old’s career took a pointed nosedive. Despite this, he remains highly rated and at least one step away from fighting for an eliminator or one of the remaining championship titles.

However, Pacquiao remains Barrios’ favorite. Now it’s up to the boxing legend and Hall of Famer who got the first votes to secure his shot. WBN believes a July date – most likely at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas – is the most realistic date for a Nevada swan song.

Pacquiao could extend his record as the oldest welterweight champion by six years if he can secure a huge victory over the 29-year-old world champion. At 46 years antique, such a scenario remains unlikely, but he can never be compared to one of the greatest players of this generation.

Unlike heavier boxers and his training regiment, Pacquiao looks in great shape despite his advanced age. Everything is set for a massive return to the boxing capital of the world, provided Pacquiao and his team can manage his political ambitions, which are expected to run from this month until May. After that time, Pacquiao could find himself in the summer finals and become the all-time champion, regardless of the result.

Barrios is based in the city, where he trained with Santos, and would be the perfect opponent to see out the career of one of the greatest fighters in history.

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