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Bradley Criticizes Stevenson’s Decision to Reject Top Rank Offer

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Image: Shakur Stevenson Has Transitioned From The Boogeyman To The Boring Man

Boxing analyst Tim Bradley believes Shakur Stevenson made a mistake by not accepting a contract extension offer from Top Rank worth $15 million for five fights with a guaranteed $3 million per fight instead of taking advantage of the free agent market.

Hope for a lucrative deal with Turki Alalshikh

Shakur may have turned down the $15 million offer because he hoped Turki Alalshikh would give him a fortune for the fight and wouldn’t mind if he fought in a lifeless way.

If that were to happen, it would be the perfect solution for Shakur, as he wouldn’t have to worry about entertaining fans and would be able to fight the only way he knows how, using an amateur points-scoring style that he hasn’t changed since turning pro in 2017.

This style is incompatible with the professional world, where fighters are expected to throw punches and provide entertainment to sell tickets and PPVs.

Bradley believes it was a good deal and adds that WBC lightweight world champion Shakur would have made more than $3 million for fights with Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko.

Shakur may be confident that if he signs with PBC, they will secure him a fight with Tank Davis, a gold mine with a huge payday, likely significantly more than the $15 million Top Rank was offering.

Unrealistic expectations from PBC and Matchroom

Stevenson may not get the same offer from PBC or Matchroom Boxing, as those companies surely know he will likely never be a PPV star or ticket seller.

If Shakur gets the fight he wants with Tank Davis, or gets knocked out, he’ll run around the ring for 12 rounds like he did with Edwin De Los Santos, and lose by decision. There will be no gift decision for Shakur with Tank if he fights like he did with De Los Santos.

If Shakur believes PBC can deliver Tank to him, it would make sense for him to sign with them. Of course, PBC can’t force Tank Davis to fight Shakur if they feel he doesn’t want to fight him and has to endure him running away for twelve rounds.

Shakur will fight Tank more defensively than he did last Saturday night against weaker boxer Artem Harutyunyan in Newark, Novel Jersey.

Generous Top Rank offer

“Should he have taken the $15 million?” [offer from Top Rank] deal? Definitely. He should have taken that $15 million deal. There’s no question about it,” Tim Bradley said Probox TV approximately $15 million Top Rank offered Shakur Stevenson to re-sign to a five-fight contract worth $3 million per fight, but he turned it down.

Shakur could crawl back to Top Rank if they don’t offer him a better or equal deal from other promoters or Turka. That would be bad for Shakur, but it’s a real possibility. If you’re PBC or Matchroom, do you really want to sign Shakur after the way he’s looked lately? I wouldn’t. A lot of electrifying fighters might not be as good defensively, but they entertain the fans.

“You have to think about it. It’s a minimum of $3 million. It doesn’t matter who he fights. If he fights Tank Davis, of course he’ll make more money,” Bradley said. “If he fights Lomachenko, of course he’ll make more money. That’s the base price.”

Shakur can forget about Lomachenko because he will probably never agree to fight him unless he is paid a huge amount of money. If he loses to Gervonta Davis in November, he will be useless to Shakur.

“People were leaving that arena. If he was going to get the knockout, people would have been there to see how it would unfold. He missed that opportunity, and the reason he missed it is because he was arguing with his grandfather in the corner,” Bradley said of Shakur not listening to his grandfather, who wanted him to fight aggressively in the final moments.

Stevenson didn’t knock out Artem Harutyunyan last weekend, and it wouldn’t have mattered if he had fought with more aggression. That wasn’t going to happen.

“His grandfather was telling him, ‘You have to hit the gas, and I have to do it now.’ He didn’t listen. The window was there, and he didn’t stop,” Bradley said.

The importance of marketability

“As far as his marketability, it’s going to be tough for him,” Bradley said of Shakur. “I don’t know where he goes from here. I don’t know if he goes with Terence Crawford. Turki Alalshikh, or does he invest in Shakur Stevenson?”

If Turki signs Shakur, who will he match him up with? Will he fight regularly, or will he do crossover fights where he finds a popular MMA fighter and has him fight Shakur in a circus-level fight?

“He wants more money. I understand. I’m talking about marketability. If you don’t get people into the seats, you’re going to have a difficult time asking for as much money as this newborn man is asking for. $3 million is a lot of money,” Bradley said.

Based on Shakur’s performance, he is not worth a $15 million contract and is not worth more than more spectacular, younger fighters like Abdullah Mason.

“You don’t see many guys making $3 million,” Bradley said.

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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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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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