This Saturday, undefeated rising star Shakur Stevenson will return to his hometown of Newark, Modern Jersey to defend his WBC lightweight title against Artem Harutyunyan (12-1, 7 KOs) at the Prudential Center.
The 12-round fight is the main event for Top Rank on ESPN’s card. But an even bigger battle is looming — the battle for the rights to Stevenson’s future fights. The three-division world champion, arguably the best neat boxer in the sport, will finalize his deal with Top Rank on Saturday, taking part in the final fight of his contract with them.
Entering his prime at the age of 27 and with a plethora of potential large fights in the future, there’s no shortage of promotions and platforms eager to join forces with Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs). The question is: who has the best chance of securing his services?
Making money with Matchroom
Matchroom Boxing CEO Eddie Hearn has made no secret of his desire to sign Stevenson. “I think Shakur is, without a weight class, one of the best fighters in the world,” he told FightHub TV. “He may be unbeatable — he may be. He’s that good. But I think he’s come up huge. I think he’s a great fighter. I think he’d be a fantastic addition to the Matchroom team, and if he’s available, we’ll definitely talk. Whether it works for both of us, we’ll see.”
The last sentence is key. Hearn will likely have to meet the high guarantees of future prize money for Stevenson. And to get a return on his investment, he needs to put up a large fight for the slippery left-hander. That could prove to be a problem in a fragmented sport, compounded by the various promotions patrolling the 135- and 140-pound weight classes. Nevertheless, Hearn’s sturdy words suggest the British outfit will be aggressive in its efforts.
America first with Premier Boxing Champions
Stevenson and Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) seem like a natural fit. The talented American lightweight is on the verge of stardom, and PBC consistently puts on the biggest boxing events in the U.S. Not to mention the appeal of a fight with undefeated WBA 135-pound champion and boxing star Gervonta “Tank” Davis.
Davis says Stevenson will be one of his opponents in the recent long-term deal he signed with PBC. Stevenson isn’t sold. “I don’t know when I’m in that deal,” he told FightHype. “You don’t know what kind of fight it is. Let’s just say I’ll make a decision based on what he just said. In his six or seven fights, I could be sixth on that list.” Still, the Davis fight is Stevenson’s biggest. In addition, potential PBC fights with Isaac Cruz, Frank Martin and Alberto Puello are enticing.
Riyadh’s Season in Jersey
Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority, is making a stern foray into boxing. Alalshikh’s first U.S. appearance is Aug. 3, headlined by TIsrail Madrimov-Terence “Bud” Crawford. Crawford, by the way, is as close to Stevenson as plugs are to electrical outlets. Stevenson could follow in his friend’s footsteps and team up with Alalshikh. It’s a win-win situation, because the fighter gets the guarantee he wants, and Alalshikh gets a adolescent fighter with crossover potential—a sensible move if his proposed boxing league comes to fruition.
Stevenson remains reserved. “I wish Bud and everybody the best in this situation,” he told FightHype. “I don’t know anything about it, so I can’t really comment on it… I wouldn’t mind being in some shit like [the boxing league] if that makes sense.”
Back to the Future with Top Rank
Relations between Top Rank and Stevenson have become frosty. In an interview with Cigar Talk last month, Bob Arum said of Stevenson: “I talked to Eddie Hearn… and Eddie said, ‘I’m not paying him the money you’re paying him.’ And I don’t think [Premier Boxing Champions Founder] Al Haymon wants to sign more players… so Shakur is between a rock and a strenuous place… if nothing better comes up he’ll come back to us.”
Arum also suggested that Stevenson’s inability to win large fights was because he wasn’t a “large draw.” That’s not necessarily going to make Stevenson want to get back into Arum’s arms, but there’s a reason they call boxing “the theater of the unexpected.”
While those platforms are the most likely to land Stevenson, Mayweather Promotions could prove to be a wild card. Floyd Mayweather did his best to try and sign Stevenson after he won silver at the 2016 Olympics. Don’t be surprised if he tries again. Of course, Stevenson’s performance on Saturday night could be a factor. Often criticized for his businesslike approach in the ring, Stevenson has promised to be more aggressive with Harutyunyan. That could raise the stakes in what will likely be a stern bidding war — assuming, of course, he’s willing to sign another promotional deal.
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