Boxing

Will free boxing fans ever love Shakur Stevenson?

Published

1 year ago

July 10, 2025

At the age of 28, on the eve of his greatest fight, Shakur Stevenson is not qualified as a child, according to appearance or any other measure. It doesn’t mean he is. But for a guy who has a seriously challenged challenge, and even more wounded-he gets an unusual source of consternation in the boxing industry. From here, eight years of his professional career Stevenson came to the conclusion: “What really comes down is the fact that accidental governing boxing sport. And these are not ordinary fans. You have ordinary promoters. You have free fighters. You have free opinions.”

Evidence? Consider Stevenson’s place on the card on Saturday at the Louis Armstrong stadium. The airy champion of WBC (this is the third weight class in which he now had titles), will be adapted to the “momentary” organization, William Zepeda (33-0, 27 KO). Zepeda is exactly such a strenuous, undefeated fighter fans have long slaughtered to make Stevenson fight. But their fight is only a co-mat. The main event is rather to Edgar Berlang – whose basic qualification seems to survive 12 senseless rounds in a unanimous defeat with Canelo Alvarez – and Hamzah Sheeraz, which is approaching 168 pounds after a disappointing draw with the title of medium weight Carlos Adames. Although there is no belt at the stake, Berlanga-Sheeraz is perceived as better garbage speakers and more likely that they provide a knockout. Despite this, no one – free or other – can argue that they are better, more talented fighters than Zepeda and Stevenson.

While Stevenson has barely lost since the transformation of his professionalism in 2017, the presumption against him – that it is not (read: brutal and charismatic) – only increased. Most of them result from his unanimous victory of the decision on Edwin de Los Santos for the WBC free belt almost two years ago. Ok, they cannot be jewels like a canelo-belanga. But it was terrible without adventures. Still, Stevenson has a different shot.

“When I come back and watch this fight,” he tells me, “I see greatness.”

Are you waiting for punchline? There aren’t. I watched Spar in a training camp for this fight, both when he only used his right side. He played it, saying that he was just working on his stab. His team refused any reason. And to my disappointment I bought it – until the fight. Stevenson performed an straightforward work on the allegedly strenuous hand de los Santos and did it with only one hand. A tear in the left middle knuck was turned, not to mention tears in the left shoulder. No excuses, only context.

“I see a warrior who entered 50 percent in relation to a very good warrior,” says Stevenson. “And I still did the work.”

While the night did not get him any fans, he lays a completely reasonable argument. Similarly, he neglects the responsibility of de los Santos in the equation. If de los Santos is so substantial and bad-I don’t say that he is not-how could he barely touch one fighter? He was also a veteran – 14 knockouts in 17 fights – with a prosperous amateur family. Why couldn’t he cut off the ring? Why didn’t he sell out?

Probably for the same reason that Gervont’s “Davis tank” of the Davis-Readala decision about a much smaller opponent, “says much more about retirement than Stevenson, who still persists in a semi-spacious dream, which one day will meet in the ring. They will not. In general, warriors do not mind beating. But they are stupid. Shakur Stevenson can make you look stupid.

– But you know what’s crazy? he asked, referring to the fight de los Santos. “The fans said it. Sometimes I moved” – nothing, it’s called boxing – “But not the whole fight. Edwin de los Santos had many opportunities to break me or hit the shots he was looking for. It just didn’t happen.”

Because de los Santos would not be – or could not – keep the end of the opportunity. I criticized Stevenson for throwing one blow at once, too cautious and focused on defense at the expense of the attack. But writing it as A is an ordinary misleading – just like the view that the size of the ring is a critical variable in these duels.

“I don’t care how substantial or compact the ring is,” says Zepeda through his trainer-Translator, Jay “Panda” Najar. “A good pressure fighter will find a way to cut the ring, and a good boxer will find a way to move and escape. It’s no secret that I throw a lot of blows and attack the body. I can’t change it. But I have to make a difference. IQ Shakur is simply amazing, but I am the one who has to do it. He is amazing Fiterm, but I am the one who must take him in the stock exchange.

The “B” page is scarce, which refers to each other in the first person. But it aims to accept the risk and responsibility that de los Santos (among others) no. Zepeda’s mind is about Zepeda. He understands that he must put wise pressure, that he cannot afford to frustrate or discourage, which he claims that he learned in his subsequent wins on Southpaw Tevin Farmer.

What’s more, Zepeda imagines the hero in his own epic. “It will be like a stony film,” he insists. “It will be a very complex, complex fight. But I can’t leave it to the judges. Not against Shakur in Modern York.”

Not to mention that Stevenson comes from Newark, Modern Jersey – or that he has his own great ambitions. Despite this, despite the whole conversation from Zepeda about Zepeda, I can’t resist thinking: where is his sensitive opponent?

“Pressure for him,” says Zepeda. “In the fight there will be a moment when he must stand there and fight me. We want to employ it.”

Explain.

“All people who say:” We want to see Shakur’s fight. We don’t want him to run away. ” He enters the internet and answers everyone, “says Zepeda.” This is the only weakness I see. “

He means cases.

Boxing

Devin Haney Confident Ahead of Dec. 19 Title Unification Battle with Liam Paro

Published

15 hours ago

November 5, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Devin Haney Confident Ahead of Dec. 19 Title Unification Battle with Liam Paro"

A formal press release was issued today announcing the December 19 welterweight title unification between Devin Haney and Liam Paro at San Francisco’s Chase Center, and in anticipation of the meeting with a co-feature of Brian Norman vs Abel RamosHaney shared his excitement for what he expects to be another successful outing to snag some more hardware.

“My resume speaks for itself,” Haney said. “I’ve never been afraid to go into a champion’s backyard and put my record on the line. I went to Australia, took George Kambosos’ belts, and became undisputed lightweight champion of the world. Now I’m bringing another Australian world champion, Liam Paro, into my backyard. This time, I plan to take his belt and become a unified welterweight world champion right here at home.
“Oakland is where my story started, and the Bay Area has always been part of who I am. The Valkyries just brought a championship to Chase Center, and on December 19, I plan to keep that championship energy going.

“I made history in Australia. Now it’s time to make history at home.”

Paro, however hopes to upset the odds, knowing he’ll be coming into this fight as a decided underdog.

“Three years ago, I was on the undercard at Chase Center the night Devin fought Regis Prograis,” Paro said. “I said back then that Haney versus Paro rolls off the tongue. Now it’s here. Champion versus champion, two belts on the line, in his backyard.

“I’ve never taken the easy road. I went to Puerto Rico and took the title off Matias in front of his own people. Devin’s a great fighter and I respect that. But I’ve been the underdog plenty of times and I’ve made history before. December 19, I’m coming to unify the division and make more history.”

With the WBO and IBF welterweight world titles on the line, one fight will be heading into the new year halfway to undisputed.

Boxing

Liam Paro Set to Face Devin Haney at Chase Center for Title Showdown

Published

16 hours ago

November 5, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Liam Paro Set to Face Devin Haney at Chase Center for Title Showdown"

Liam Paro served as supporting cast the last time Devin Haney headlined at Chase Center. Come December 19, he walks into San Francisco carrying the IBF welterweight title, gunning to strip Haney of his WBO strap.

Three years transformed Paro from an undercard face into a headline attraction. He watched Haney shut out Regis Prograis from the locker room in December 2023. Now he commands the marquee, even if getting US fight fans to open their wallets on pay-per-view presents an uphill battle.

“Three years ago, I was on the undercard at Chase Center the night Devin fought Regis Prograis. I said back then that Haney versus Paro rolls off the tongue. Now it is here. Champion versus champion, two belts on the line, in his backyard. I have never taken the easy road. I went to Puerto Rico and took the title off Matias in front of his own people,” Paro stated.

The Australian proved his mettle by snatching the 140-pound crown from Subriel Matias on hostile soil. Richardson Hitchins took it right back six months later, checking Paro’s momentum before mainstream crowds took notice.

The jump to 147 pounds provided the reboot he needed. Three straight wins, capped by a gritty points victory over Lewis Crocker to claim the IBF strap, set the stage for this encounter.

Haney ends a lengthy layoff on home turf. Sitting out more than twelve months makes asking fans to purchase a DAZN PPV against a fighter unknown to mainstream viewers a tough sell. Belts by themselves rarely move the needle at the box office.

Brian Norman Jr. takes on Abel Ramos in the ten-round co-feature. Norman dropped his WBO belt to Haney last November and must now accept undercard placement on his conqueror’s bill.

Paro earned his position the hard way. December 19 decides if his punch output can upset the hometown favorite or if Haney cruises behind his jab.

Boxing

Tyson Fury Dismantles Wilders Career: A Turning Point in Their Ongoing Rivalry

Published

17 hours ago

November 5, 2026

The Punch Junkie™ News

"Tyson Fury Dismantles Wilder's Career: A Turning Point in Their Ongoing Rivalry"

Tyson Fury sees little point in Deontay Wilder stepping inside a ring again, an inconvenient stance given Wilder’s spot on his upcoming December 11 card. Labeling the former champion “shot to bits” severely undercuts Jai Opetaia’s heavyweight entrance, turning a marquee pairing into an exercise in past glory.

Wilder meets the undefeated cruiserweight ruler at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium, supporting the Netflix headliner between Fury and Anthony Joshua. Opetaia carries a spotless 31-0 record into the division. Wilder enters at 45-4-1. While the American’s presence guarantees instant marquee value, Fury openly questions if any real substance remains.

“Silly for Deontay’s part,” Fury remarked to FightHype regarding the bout. “He shouldn’t be nowhere near a ring. It’s a dying shame that this man has to continue to fight when he’s shot to bits.”

Fury argued Wilder should have walked away after their brutal 2021 trilogy finale. He referenced Wilder’s narrow split decision over Derek Chisora in April to illustrate the decline, pointing out that Chisora walked through shots that once ended nights instantly.

This goes well beyond standard fight banter or favoring the younger fighter. Fury insists any ring appearance by Wilder is a mistake, no matter the rival. Sharing thirty rounds across three savage encounters gives his assessment real credibility, even with his typical theatrical flair taken into account.

That leaves promoters with an awkward narrative. Wilder’s box office appeal relies entirely on the sudden violence of his equalizer. If the card’s headline attraction claims that thunder is gone, fans are paying for nostalgia rather than prime danger.

Opetaia faces a distinct reputational limit because of it. A dominant performance adds a legendary heavyweight scalp to his ledger, yet it will not convince skeptics he can challenge the division elite. Fury provided the counterargument months in advance: the opponent should have stepped away long ago.

The move up remains hazardous for the Australian. Stepping up in weight brings obvious physical disadvantages, and assuming Wilder is completely toothless would be reckless. Opetaia must rely on sharp footwork, making the veteran chase shadows instead of giving him a stationary target.

Diminished skills can still pack enough punch to alter someone venturing north of 200 pounds. Even so, this version barely resembles the wrecking ball who defended the WBC belt ten times.

Fury tore through the promotional sheen around this contest. Opetaia gets his crack at the famous Bronze Bomber name, but the card’s top star insists the man in Cardiff belongs in the crowd, not under the lights.

What’s interesting is how Fury is eager to declare Wilder finished, yet plenty of fans see his main event with Joshua as two faded names cashing in before the wheels fall off completely.

If Joshua catches him and puts him away early, the reaction will be merciless. The narrative will immediately flip to Fury being a shell of the giant who outboxed Wladimir Klitschko or battered Wilder in their rematch.

When a fighter spends years taking heavy punishment, blowing up between camps, and showing diminished punch resistance, the drop-off rarely happens gradually. It comes all at once.

Ever since the Francis Ngannou knockdown, Fury’s aura of invincibility has vanished. He was hurt badly and dropped by Oleksandr Usyk, and even in his recent bouts against big punchers like Arslanbek Makhmudov, he showed far less mobility and far more vulnerability to clean shots. His legs do not bail him out of trouble the way they used to.

Joshua rebuilt his career against lower-tier opposition, Kristian Prenga, and a crossover fight with Jake Paul, but the memory of being taken apart by Daniel Dubois, Oleksandr Usyk, and flattened by Andy Ruiz Jr. never truly disappeared. He remains cautious, mechanical, and prone to freezing.

If Joshua lands the clean right hand and flattens him, Fury will not have any room to complain about the commentary that follows. You cannot publicly brand your former rival a walking corpse on your undercard, then expect sympathy when the boxing public decides Father Time caught up to you on the very same night.