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Shakura Stevenson’s talent is a curse? Malignaggi suggests reducing the remuneration needed to land William Zepeda and overcome lightweight avoidance

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11 months ago

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Image: Shakur Stevenson's Talent a Curse? Malignaggi Suggests Pay Cut Needed to Land William Zepeda Fight and Overcome Lightweight Avoidance

Paulie Malignaggi says that Shakur Stevenson may need to lower his salary by offering part of his purse to lure the ephemeral WBC champion, William Zepeda to fight him. He believes that Shakur (23-0, 11 KO) is avoided by the best guys at the age of 135 because he is so good.

Remuneration proposal

To force these fighters, such as Zepeda (33-0, 27 KO) to fight him, he will have to give up his purse. Malignaggi believes that Shakur’s victory over Zepeda will “force” greater fighting with Gervont Davis.

It is more likely that it will work in the opposite. The impressive victory of Stevenson over Zepeda will forever close the door to the fight with Tank Davis, especially if Shakur runs all night with the Mexican lethargic.

He will have to move around the ring throughout the fight, because if he stands and fights with Zepeda, he will be chewed. Tevin Farmer consumed many penalties in the first six rounds of his last fight with Zepeda, and the only reason he was not detained is that he has a perfect chin.

Shakura promoter, Eddie Hearn, has money to invest in him if he wants to exploit some of his company’s cake to get Zepeda. For a popular warrior, such as Zepeda, it will be pricey. Everything Hearn must offer Zepeda $ 5 millionHe will agree and then hopes that Shakur will make his part without winning. Hearn is scanty and tight, it will cause Stevenson to exist in the shade as long as he stays in the match.

If he is booed by fans, as if he was against Edwin de Los Santos and Jeremiah Nakathlia, he can forget about Tank.

Saudi money has disappeared

The money that according to Shakur will be from the Saudis is no longer after his last fight with Josh Padley on February 22 in Riyadh. Some fans believe that Saudis gave up Stevenson after this terrible performance against the part -time boxer Padley, who fought with a very tedious fight.

“It’s a bit disappointing in which Shakur was in this business. I feel that he is a great warrior,” said Paulie Malignaggi to WarriorSpeaking of how Shakur Stevenson was unable to get the fights he wanted. “It is probably the best lightweight in the world.”

Shakur did not defeat anyone in a slight importance to get the recognition that Malignaggi was overwhelming on him. Stevenson’s fight with Edwin de Los Santos should be a draw or victory for De los Santos. The judges gave it to Shakur, but many fans believe that it was because of his popularity. He shouldn’t lose.

In addition, Shakura’s victories were at a low level of players: Josh Padley [the electrician]An inactive Artem Harutynaan, who took a loss, and little -known Shuichiro Yoshino.

Avoidance

“Perhaps a situation in which he may need a little reduction in salary to get these great fights and try to determine his performance,” said Malignaggi. “It sucks, I know. Only in boxing you can be so good that you are not avoided. No other sport does it.”

It is unlikely that this match does not happen, unless Shakur does not dominate the majority of his purse so that William Zepeda is worth fighting with him. Golden Boy and Zepeda apparently saw Shakura’s fight with de los Santos and will know after watching this competition that the winning decision against him would be impossible.

If the judges give Shakur rounds for landing lightweight blows, holding and running, Zepeda will not have a chance to win. In order for Zepeda to have a chance, the fight would have to be staged on a neutral territory in Mexico.

“When you are so good, they have to go through you to be the best, or they can’t be the best. In boxing you can be so good that sometimes you are avoided if you are not in the right situation and everyone plays the ball without you,” said Malignaggi.

The problem is that Shakur did not show that he is “so good” for top -class fighters at the age of 135 to want to fight him. He showed that he is a runner, a tedious runner and is regularly booed when he stands in the face of the opposition with any pop in their blows. It is not popular and many lightweight years from the implementation of PPV status.

Basically, he is known for its activities in social media on the current promoter X. Shakur, Eddie Hearn, could not be transformed into a star and did not invested the cake so as not to get the fight yet to become a home brand, fighting with William Zepeda and Gervont Davis.

Stevenson’s counseling

“It’s crazy for me because I think Shakur is a lightweight premium world in a lightweight division that has good fighters,” said Malignaggi. “I don’t know what the answer is. Maybe take some cut to try to fight Zepeda and then dominate Zeda. This will force more fights in this way, because then you will dominate a guy like Zepeda.

“I don’t know anymore. It’s such a stupid business. There is a crazy sum of money in it. It moves in a strange way. People play favorite. There is a lot of politics because there is something if there is a lot of money, but it gets so frustrating,” said Malignaggi.

https://youtu.be/ihcs_whpaic?si=hry1teijbun-fqsh&t=12

Last updated on 14.04.2025

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Boxing

Keyshawn Davis says his next fight at 147 pounds could be a title shot

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1 hour ago

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March 7, 2026

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Image: Keyshawn Davis Says Next Fight Likely at 147, “For a Championship”

“My next fight will definitely be under a credible name, bigger than Jamaine Ortiz,” Keyshawn told Fight Hub TV.

Since stopping Jamaine Ortiz in the 12th round on January 31 at Madison Square Garden, Keyshawn has been openly calling for bigger fights. He has mentioned names from junior welterweights and welterweights in interviews and on social media, including Devin Haney, Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, Richardson Hitchins, Lewis Crocker and Lamont Roach Jr.

These challenges followed a performance that Keyshawn pointed to as evidence that he was among the top contenders. He dropped and stopped Ortiz in a fight where several previous opponents had gone the distance against a hard-wearing opponent. Now Keyshawn says the next step will take him to a welterweight title shot.

“I think I’m on the rise,” Keyshawn said when asked about the importance of his next fight, confirming plans to compete at 147 pounds and indicating the fight will be for the world championship.

Keyshawn did not name his opponent, but hinted that the fight would be a step up from his last fight. He also said that discussions about this fight have already taken place and that his return could come sooner than many expect.

A move up to welterweight would place Keyshawn in one of boxing’s most competitive divisions, with several established fighters already competing for title opportunities and championship fights receiving constant attention.

One possible opponent at 147 pounds is IBF champion Lewis Crocker, who Keyshawn mentioned when discussing future fights. Keyshawn has previously said he would be willing to head to the UK to challenge Crocker if a title opportunity arises. No agreement has been announced, but a fight has emerged as one potential path if the fighter wins the welterweight title outright.

For now, Keyshawn says preparations for his return are already underway as talks continue for a world title fight.

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Boxing

Canelo Alvarez discusses his retirement plan

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3 hours ago

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March 7, 2026

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Canelo Alvarez addresses his retirement plan

Canelo Alvarez talked about how long he could stay in the sport before hanging up his gloves and opting for a decorated career.

The 35-year-old is already destined for a place in the Hall of Fame, as he became a four-division world champion, but he still wants to compete at the highest level.

Since his professional debut in 2005, the Mexican has made 68 appearances and has twice become the undisputed king of the 168-pound division, scoring notable victories over the likes of Callum Smith and Caleb Plant.

However, his most critical victory came in the middleweight division, where Alvarez made a very controversial decision by majority vote in a rematch with Gennady Golovkin in 2018.

More controversial was their first meeting a year earlier, when many felt Golovkin had done enough to claim a convincing victory and the Kazakhstan ended in a draw.

Still, Canelo received plenty of credit for his follow-up triumph before dethroning Sergei Kovalev to capture the WBO featherlight heavyweight title over a year later.

Alvarez’s second undisputed super middleweight reign came to an end last September when Terence Crawford moved up two weight classes and won a unanimous decision.

But Canelo explained anyway Froch About the fight that he can still compete for another two years, maybe even longer, depending on how often his opportunities come along.

“I don’t know. I think maybe two years. I don’t need it, [but] I still enjoy it. If I [fight] maybe once a year [I can go on] a little bit [longer].

“Once a year to rest my body, I think I can fight more [than two years]”

Although an official announcement has not yet been made, Canelo is scheduled to fight in Riyad, Saudi Arabia this September, and Turki Alalshikh has promised to fight for the world title.

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Boxing

The Inoue-Nakatani title fight will take place on May 2 at the Tokyo Dome

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5 hours ago

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March 7, 2026

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Boxing’s worst kept secret has now been confirmed – Naoya Inoue (32-0, 27 KO) and Junto Nakatani (32-0, 24 KO) will meet on May 2 at the Tokyo Dome for Inoue’s undisputed junior featherweight championship.

The all-Japan clash was formally announced at a press conference in Japan. The fight will be broadcast live on Lemino pay-per-view; US distribution rights have not yet been announced.

Inoue – ESPN’s No. 2 pound-for-pound boxer – is coming off an impressive 2025 in which he competed four times, defeating Kim Ye-Joon, Ramon Cardenas, Murodjon Akhmadaliev and David Picasso. Thanks to Inoue’s unanimous decision victory over Picasso in December, Nakatani defeated Sebastian Hernandez in the second fight of the night in a tougher-than-expected fight. Their victories set up a long-awaited clash between two of Japan’s best players.

Nakatani is ranked No. 6 pound-for-pound by ESPN and will look to become a four-division champion after winning world titles at bantamweight, junior bantamweight and flyweight. Although Nakatani narrowly won his junior featherweight debut in a grueling fight against Hernandez, Nakatani proved he was one of the best fighters in the world and had a powerful showing in 2025, winning 3-0.

The Undercard will feature Inoue’s younger brother Takuma defending his WBC bantamweight title against former four-division titleholder Kazuto Ioka.

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