Tim Bradley believes the decline in Shakur Stevenson’s performances in recent fights has been the result of undisclosed injuries since his move up to lightweight in 2023.
Boxing commentator Bradley feels Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) has been “quiet” about fighting hurt since moving up to 135, so he looked so weak against Edwin De Los Santos and Artem Harutyunyan. Shakur seemed afraid of getting hit in these fights and didn’t trust his chin.
A career-long issue?
Bradley isn’t saying if his theory about Shakur being injured was a career-long thing, because he’s been equally boring in fights against these guys since 2019:
– Jeremiah Nakathilia
– Christopher Diaz
– Oscar Valdez
– Joe Gonzalez
– Robson Conceicao
If Shakur’s play-it-safe fighting approach is due to injuries since 2019, he may have to consider retiring or dropping down to 126 pounds.
“In recent fights, we haven’t seen the best of Shakur. It could be with injuries, and Shakur is the type of fighter who keeps quiet about his injuries. He doesn’t like to talk about them too much. He keeps it a secret. So maybe he’s on to something. That’s why we haven’t seen his best,” commentator Tim Bradley told the Title Sports Network YouTube channel about why Shakur Stevenson looked so poor recently.
Carrying water for Shakur?
It sounds like Bradley is carrying water for Shakur and making excuses for him to cover up the reality that he is not an entertaining fighter and never has been since day one. If Shakur was injured, why did he fight the same way as an amateur? He always fought the same way.
He lost to Robeisy Ramirez in the 2016 Olympics for playing tag and running around the ring. The judges wouldn’t give Shakur a win with that horrible style, so he lost. Afterwards, he cried dry tears and felt robbed. Shakur didn’t want to face the truth.
“As for the critics, let them speak,” Bradley said of the criticism Shakur is receiving. “Just keep winning, champion. Keep proving people wrong. If you get the (William) Zepeda fight, go out and do your thing. Win at all costs. That’s it. In terms of entertainment value, these fans pay to see you fight. There’s a balance you have to have as a fighter.”
William Zepeda Challenge
The chances of Shakur defeating #1 contender William Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) are pretty low. He won’t prove anyone wrong fighting Zepeda next February as it’s a likely knockout loss for Shakur. If he doesn’t get knocked out, he’s going to run the whole 12 rounds, and he’s going to receive massive criticism.
Unlike the Shakur-De Los Santos clash, the fight with Zepeda will be seen by many fans, and the backlash Stevenson will receive for running away from him will be never-ending.
Shakur has to worry about the critics because his goal is to be a PPV star and get the big fights. Top fighters aren’t going to want to take on Shakur if he’s not popular and doesn’t get involved, and there’s the risk of being robbed like De Los Santos was last November.
“There’s a balance between playing it safe and winning or just performing, and taking a little more risk for the entertainment value,” Bradley said. “You have to balance and be a bit safe at the same time. It’s a balance you have to find. What we saw with Shakur was (Jamel) Haring (in October 2021 at super featherweight). When we saw it was Shakur, Oscar Valdez was (in 2022 at 130). When we saw it with Shakur was when he fought (Robson) Conceicao (in September 2022 at 130).
Shakur didn’t look good against Valdez and Conceicao. Indeed, he was boring in both fights, falling back whenever he was attacked. Shakur looked decent against the 35-year-old Herring because he was old, slow and weak.
“He’s been there, he’s been in the sack, he’s been hit, and he’s been trading guys. That was when we saw him (Shakur) at his absolute best,” Bradley said, noting that things have changed for Stevenson since he moved up to 135, where fighters have more power and he’s uncomfortable.
