WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson met with 135-lb prospect Abdullah Mason in the locker room last Friday night, November 8, to give him pearls of wisdom after suffering a scare in his fight against veteran Yohan Vasquez at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia survived. .
Taking Shakur’s advice could limit Abdullah Mason’s star power, making him one of those cookie-cutter safety-first fighters who will never be popular. Shakur’s style, what a throwback to Mayweather’s old boring styledoes not belong in the modern era of boxing.
That’s why fans keep booing Shakur out of venues; he doesn’t belong. If there was a working time machine, Shakur should be sent back to 1995, when fans were more tolerant of his style of fighting, because in this era of competition from other sports, he doesn’t belong.
Mason, 20, was dropped twice by Vasquez in the first round, but came back to knock him out in the second round.
Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs), known for his defense, told Mason that he doesn’t need to fight aggressively in the first two or three rounds because every fighter is dangerous early on. He wants Mason to use his 5’9″ height by staying on the outside instead of putting himself in danger by fighting in close, which is why he was dropped twice by Vasquez.
Mason threw uppercuts and was dropped twice with left hooks from the powerful Vaszuez (26-6, 21 KOs). He put himself at risk by fighting Vasquez in close quarters so he could land a highlight-reel knockout, which he eventually did in the second round.
Shakur gives Mason career advice
Abdullah Mason: “We are here and we are going to the next. We want them all.”
Shakur Stevenson: “I want to tell you something that will take you to the elite,” Stevenson said Top Rank Box ia conversation with Abdullah Mason. “Every fighter in the first round is dangerous. So, with your skills and everything you have, you were able to keep guys outside from the first time because you can fight outside and inside.
“You fight in both lanes, but for those first three rounds you still want to be defensively aware and keep guys out. Then, ‘He’s a little tired, and now we’re going to walk over to him and get him out of there.’
“You’re going to take everyone out there with your skills. Just understand early on, everyone is dangerous. You don’t want to go there to trade and give up your height. Keep the guy at a distance. Then set three, four or five. Okay, you’re slowing down. I’m about to beat your a**.’ You are one hell of a fighter, bro.
“You’re going to be one of the greats, I promise you. Just make sure the IQ is there with the skills.”
Why Mason Should NOT Listen to Shakur
The problem with Mason changing his style to become more defensive like Shakur is that it would take a lot of the excitement out of his style, making him just one of the regular fighters in the lightweight division rather than stand out as he does now.
To be a star in the modern era of boxing, fighters must fight in a brave manner and risk getting clipped to get the knockout. If Mason Changes His Fighting Style If Mason fights like Shakur, he will be boring to watch and may never become a star. Stevenson is one of the dullest fighters in the sport, and it sounds like he wants to transform Abdullah’s style to be a carbon copy of his boring approach to fighting.
Do NOT be friends with Shakur
It’s a bad idea for Mason to change the way he fights. Also, he shouldn’t be friendly with Shakur because he might have to fight him. The last thing fans need to hear is Mason saying he can’t fight Shakur because he’s friends with him. This is Keyshawn’s argument for not fighting Shakur.
