Shakur Stevenson has signed a contract with Matchroom Boxing for his next fight against former IBF super featherweight champion Joe Cordina on October 12 in a Riyadh season event on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol at the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia.
Some believe it’s a demotion for Shakur, with him relegated to undercard status after two straight lackluster performances. Still, it’s more a case of his fight against Cordina being nowhere near the level of taking the top spot from the Beterbiev-Bivol Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship fight, which is another galaxy in terms of quality fights.
Shakur will return to main event status in his next fight against William Zepeda, provided he doesn’t lose to Cordina. You can’t rule out a win for Cordina because he is one fight away from being a world champion.
Hearn’s high hopes for Stevenson
Promoter Eddie Hearn believes he can turn Shakur into a superstar in the US, but that will be thought because his fighting style is outdated and more suited to another era before cable television, UFC and social media. To be a star in this era, you have to entertain, and Shakur falls far short of that mark.
It is believed to be a one-fight deal for WBC lightweight champion Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) to defend against Matchroom-promoted Cordina (17-1, 9 KOs) for His Excellency Turki Alalshikh’s event in Riyadh.
If Shakur wins, his next title defense is expected to be against #1 WBC contender William Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) in February. This is the risky make-or-break one for Shakur, who has never fought anyone close to as good as Zepeda in the pro ranks, and the wheels could come off.
The Dream Match: Gervonta Davis
The fight Hearn is targeting is Gervonta Davis for Shakur in 2025, but he has to get past Cordina and Zepeda before they can begin negotiations for that fight. Even Cordina is a dangerous matchup for Shakur as he will swing for the fences with nothing to fear. Cordina is deadly against non-punchers, and Shakur can’t crack eggs with his shots.
This will be difficult to put together because if Shakur insists on a 50-50 deal, the talks will collapse, and he will be right back where he started; he will continue to struggle to become a star. I don’t think it’s possible to turn Shakur into a true star in this era.
Fans expect to be entertained these days, and there are too many other things to watch than a boring ‘Hit and Don’t’ fighter. Shakur would struggle to gain fans even during Mayweather’s era.
“Shakur Stevenson is 27 and already a three-division World Champion and may be unbeatable in the sport of boxing,” Hearn said. “This young man should be a global superstar, and I believe with our machine behind him, he will land all the big fights and receive all the credit he deserves. The journey begins on October 12 in Riyadh on a big card, and we can’t wait for the future together.”
This should be a good combination as long as Hearn is willing to stick with Shakur through poor performances and losses to Zepeda and Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis. Hearn is excellent at elevating his fighters’ competitions.
When he has a guy who is struggling and can no longer keep his head above the water line, like Anthony Joshua, he can protect them with soft matchups. He might have to do that with Shakur if he signs him to a long-term deal.
Shakur’s three-division title win:
- Edwin De Los Santos: WBC 135
- Jamel Herring: WBO 130
- Joet Gonzalez: WBO 126
Hearn doesn’t have many options for Shakur at 135 if he can’t set up fights with Gervonta Davis or William Zepeda. Unless Shakur is willing to move up to 140, here’s what’s in store for him at Matchroom:
Andy Cruz
Cameron Vuong
Gary Cully
If that’s all there is to Shakur with Matchroom, Hearn will have a lot of trouble turning him into the global superstar he hopes to be. It’s not ‘Field of Dreams’ where you create something and hope fans will want to see it. Shakur is not fans’ cup of tea, at least in the US
Maybe the Brits will like Shakur’s safety-first style, but I wouldn’t count on it. A fighter who is an eyesore to American fans is the same to the British.
MONEY MONEY MONEY 💰
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) August 22, 2024
