Shakur Stevenson calls himself a ‘diamond’ before Teo Fight

Shakur Stevenson says he is a “diamond” and he will shine against Teofimo Lopez on January 31. He wants to show the WBO light welterweight champion Lopez (22-1, 13 KOs) what “level” he is at.

Business Mode Stevenson

Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs) says he is focused on making “business” decisions at this stage of his career. Moving up to 140 to challenge Teofimo is part of his new business-oriented approach.

Shakur says that “when he wins, he’s going to decide if he’s going to go back to 135, stay at 140, or move up to 147. Whatever makes the most sense financially.

“I’m a diamond. I’ve been shining my whole career. I’m not going to stop now,” Shakur Stevenson told the media after today’s press conference with WBO 140-lb champion Teofimo Lopez. “A lot of things they sleep on is my strength. A lot of people say I can’t crack.”

Has Shakur ever fought elite?

Stevenson did not fight opposition well enough to label himself a “diamond”. He fights guys like Josh Padley and hasn’t fought the top level guys at 126, 130 and 135. When he was at 126, he never fought Rafael Espinoza. At 135, Shakur was untested. So, the “diamond” label he gave himself makes him sound pretentious.

“I was already been waiting for this opportunity for years to show who I really am. Shout out to Teo. We’ll see,” said Stevenson when asked if he would return to lightweight after the Lopez fight.

It would be nice if Shakur had the same attitude about some of the fighters at 135 who have called him out. Teofimo’s popularity, large fan base and occasional erratic behavior are probably what appeals to Stevenson the most.

“At this point in my career, I’m focused on the best business. Whatever makes the most sense to me, and that’s going to push us forward,” Shakur said when asked about Turki Alalshikh, saying there’s a big battle in the spring for the winner of his showdown with Teofimo.

Like many fighters getting their first taste of big money, Stevenson is now aiming his career at the biggest purses rather than making compelling fights against notable but not necessarily star-level fighters.

This may explain why Shakur has shown no interest in fighting O’Shaquie Foster. Of course, estimating whether he can win the fight is also a factor. His interest in fighting Lamont Roach, a fighter no more popular than Foster, suggests that he is shrewd with the fighters he chooses. Roach is not a star, but he is vulnerable, as we saw in his fight against Isaac Cruz, loss to Jamel Herring, and his near loss to Hector Luis Garcia.

The race card concern

“He talks bad about black people. He talks bad about Puerto Ricans. He’s going to pay for it on January 31st,” Shakur said of Teofimo. “It’s time to show what the level is. I don’t think he realizes what the level is. So, I can’t wait to show him.”

Hopefully Stevenson doesn’t play the race card during the promotion for this fight. It’s a negative way to create interest by playing that angle, calling Teo racist and playing himself off as a race avenger. Not only will it look bad, but if Shakur loses, it’s going to be worse for him.