Connect with us

Boxing

Shakur Stevenson needs to give it his all tonight against Artem Harutyunyan

Published

on

Image: Shakur Stevenson Must Deliver an Impressive Performance Tonight Against Artem Harutyunyan

Shakur Stevenson needs to put in a good performance tonight against Artem Harutyunyan for a number of reasons, starting with the upcoming free agency period.

(Source: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)

Free agency and the search for a lucrative contract

Shakur (21-0, 10 KOs), the WBC lightweight champion, wants a great offer from a gigantic promoter like Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom, but he won’t get it if he doesn’t make a good impression.

Harutyunyan (13-1, 7 KOs) could make it complex for Shakur to fight and win because he won’t knock him out without getting in his way.

Targeting Harutyunyan’s weakness

During Friday’s weigh-in, Shakur suggested he would target Harutyunyan’s mid-section, an area where Frank Martin had the most success last year, heading into their July 2023 clash.

Stevenson also wants a unification fight with WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis because he believes that the fight is winnable and will make him a PPV star.

If the 27-year-old Shakur wins this fight, he can win it, but only if he fights in the same division he fled the scene in as he did against Edwin De Los Santos.

It is unlikely that Davis will continue to fight.

“This is a fight” [Gervonta Davis vs. Shakur Stevenson] that we all want it, but you have to focus on the guy in front of him. It’s not about winning. Yeah, we all assume he’s going to win this fight,” said boxing expert Chris Algieri Probox TV about today’s fight between Shakur Stevenson and Artem Harutyunyan.

Shakur won’t fight Tank Davis, no matter how good he looks tonight. Tank’s managers want a unification fight with IBF champion Vasiliy Lomachenko in November.

If Tank wins this fight, there is a possibility of a rematch with Lomachenko and then a second fight with Ryan Garcia. A rematch between them would be much bigger than the one involving Shakur, who is not as popular as Ryan.

Shakur will have to wait until at least 2026 to fight Tank Davis, but it is assumed that he will not be defeated by one of the contenders such as William Zepeda, Raymond Muratalla or Abdullah Mason.

The need for a declaration of victory

If Edwin De Los Santos could come close to defeating Shakur, these fighters would have an even better chance.

“Looking good matters. It’s not about winning or losing. It’s about how good you can look.” Artem said [at the weigh-in]”Everybody wants you to lose,” and Shakur said, “I know, but I’m coming for you. That’s not gonna happen.” [Shakur] goes, “I’m going there” [Harutyunyan’s body]. I hope you did some sit-ups.

“I think Shakur is going to go out there and try to get Artem out of there. I think it would be a really gigantic statement if he could stop him, whereas Frank Martin couldn’t. Frank Martin actually had some trouble with Artem towards the end,” Algieri said.

Shakur needs to almost try to knock Harutyunyan out to show fans that his recent indigent performance was just a fluke. Stevenson needs to impress again to get a gigantic offer from one of the other promoters.

Circumscribed options at Matchroom

I’m not sure Matchroom will facilitate Shakur achieve his goal of getting Tank Davis because they have no control over him. All they can do is offer him a fight with Andy Cruz at lightweight, which would be a tough fight for him and the 140-pound fighters they have. None of them are popular.

If Shakur signs with Matchroom, he will only be eligible to compete against the following fighters: Liam Paro, Andy Cruz, Richardson Hitchins, Regis Prograis, Jack Catterall and Subriel Matias.

“He’s a tough guy. He’s the type of guy that stylistically can really make Shakur look good. I think Shakur should take this opportunity to put himself out there with the rest of the lightweights because he’s in a position now where that gigantic fight, that mega fight, that type of fight with Tank Davis is within reach,” Algieri said.

I don’t think Harutyunyan can make Shakur look good. He looked good against sluggish fighters or those with no power. Harutyunyan has enough speed and power to keep Shakur from dominating him like he did in his first fight at 135 pounds against Shuichiro Yoshino.

He didn’t look good against De Los Santos, Robson Conceicao, Oscar Valdez, and Jeremiah Nakathilia. Fans found those fights tedious, and Shakur spent most of his time on the run.

Continue Reading
Click to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Boxing

The fight between Alexis Rocha and Raul Curiel will take place on December 14 at the Toyota Arena

Published

on

Rocha vs Curiel

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.

Continue Reading

Boxing

George Kambosos moves up to 140, adds Eddie Hearn to team

Published

on

George Kambosos beats Teofimo

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.

Continue Reading

Boxing

Mike Tyson had absolutely no chance of knocking out Jake Paul

Published

on

Mike Tyson comeback black

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.

Continue Reading
Advertisement

OUR NEWSLETTER

Subscribe Us To Receive Our Latest News Directly In Your Inbox!

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

Trending