Boxing analyst Tim Bradley believes Shakur Stevenson is deliberately taking on the role of a villain to artificially generate interest in his career by arguing with the media and fans on social media.
Mayweather’s handbook
What WBC lightweight champion Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) lacks in entertainment value in his lifeless, defense-and-safety-first fights, Mayweather-style, he makes up for in excessive arrogance.
Fans tune in to watch Shakur fights not because they expect to be entertained, but in the hope that he will lose and be knocked off his high horse. But considering the frail opposition he has fought, he cannot be defeated.
That said, Shakur probably deserved to lose last year to Edwin De Los Santos, but the judges saved him in this fight. He was put in this fight, but being the A-side helped him avoid a lot of the punches he would have taken if he was a regular fighter.
High ratings, low PPV potential:
“We’re talking about how nobody wants to watch him, and yet this kid is the highest rated on ESPN” [in 2024 for a boxing event] “from every player,” said Tim Bradley Fighting with excitement about Shakur Stevenson. “We say nobody wants to see him, but everybody’s got their eyes on him [for a fight on a regular non-PPV event on ESPN].”
Bradley won’t say whether the same fans would have watched if last weekend’s Shakur vs. Artem Harutyunyan fight had been on ESPN PPV. I’d say it’s a resounding NO. People wouldn’t be willing to buy a Shakur fight on PPV, but it’s a different story when it’s on free TV on ESPN. If Shakur’s villain persona works out, he’ll be fighting on PPV, not free TV.
“They’re fascinated by him and they want to see what everyone’s talking about. Even in his next fight, people will watch him just to criticize him,” Bradley said of Shakur.
Will the villain be able to conquer the lightweight division?
Being a villain won’t last a fighter long. Their rush will end if they don’t beat top opposition. Shakur won’t beat Gervonta “Tank” Davis fighting the way he did, and he’d probably lose just as badly to Abdullah Mason and William Zepeda.
Bradley notes that Shakur’s defense was so good that he wasn’t hit, even standing in front of Harutyunyan. He’s wrong. Shakur was hit by Harutyunyan, and quite often with neat right hands.
If it was Tank who landed those punches, Shakur would not have survived the fight without a knockout. Harutyunyan was going for heads throughout the fight, which made life easier for Shakur because it allowed him to stand in front of him and lean back to avoid his punches.
If Harutyunyan had the sense to target his body, he would have found him an uncomplicated target. A fighter like William Zepeda would be a nightmare for Shakur if he tried to fight him in a stationary manner, like he did with Harutyunyan, because he would throw his body around and stop him early, like he did with his last two opponents.
“I think this modern way that Shakur is attacking the media, starting with celebrities, is he’s trying to create a villain for himself and he’s using that not only as fuel but to attract more viewers, to generate more hate and to put himself in a position where a lot of people are going to believe that he’s going to lose and he’s going to win,” Bradley said.
The villain role worked well for Mayweather, as he carefully selected his opponents toward the end of his career, avoiding the likes of a newborn Errol Spence, Keith Thurman, Tim Bradley and even Manny Pacquiao.
Mayweather didn’t fight Pacquiao until he was in his 30s and has recently lost to Juan Manuel Marquez and Bradley. Shakur can’t do the same because he hasn’t established himself as a PPV attraction and needs Tank Davis and Vasily Lomachenko.
Challenges of a Villain
“He’s going to look like a hero. Like he’s always planned to create this narrative so people can fight him, and he’ll be able to pay good dividends if he can do that,” Bradley said. “If he beats a guy like Tank, if Tank gets in the ring and fights him, that’s validation because everyone knows what Tank brings.”
If Shakur beat Tank Davis, of course, he’d look like a hero, but that’s unrealistic given his fighting style. The judges aren’t going to give Shakur a decision using his three-foot style, and he can’t stand in the pocket against Tank without getting quickly exterminated.
“Tank right now, if you put a poll, he’s the No. 1 guy at 135, according to the boxing world, according to people, he’s the No. 1 guy. Shakur’s probably second. So if he beats Tank, he’s the guy. So maybe that’s part of his [Shakur] “That’s the plan,” Bradley said.
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.
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.
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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