“I think people are so ignorant where they don’t even understand that like with Zuffa they got me one belt right, just one belt. How is that not going to help clean up the sport of boxing?” Shakur told the Daily Mail. “It will be very useful for the sport of boxing.”
Shakur also criticized the current landscape, which includes champions from the WBA, WBC, IBF and WBO.
“If we have four different belt organizations, then fans are going to complain that this champion doesn’t fight this champion, this champion doesn’t fight, and it’s mandatory. It becomes a whole clown show,” Shakur said.
The WBO light welterweight champion’s comments are notable because he made his own way to a 140-pound title under the current system.
After moving up from lightweight, Shakur challenged Teofimo Lopez for the WBO title without first fighting many of the division’s top contenders. A one-belt structure built around rankings would likely require fighters to move through the contender ladder before receiving a title shot.
If boxing adopted a true one-belt model across the sport, Shakur could find himself earning championship opportunities against contenders such as Ernesto Mercado, Andy Hiraoka, Gary Antuanne Russell, Alberto Puello, Dalton Smith and Oscar Duarte.
Each presents a different challenge. Mercado emerged as one of the division’s hardest punchers while also displaying impressive hand speed. Hiraoka brings size and strength. Russell is considered one of the division’s most aggressive pressure fighters. Smith, Puello and Duarte have all established themselves as legitimate contenders.
The same problem would exist if Shakur returned to lightweight. Floyd Schofield, Gervonta Davis, Andy Cruz, Raymond Muratalla and William Zepeda are all likely to be in the mix for title contention.
Zepeda’s push created difficult moments during his fight with Shakur last year, raising questions about how a one-belt system will affect fighters who currently have multiple routes to a championship event.
Despite that, Stevenson remains convinced that a one-band structure will improve boxing.
“I think everybody will fight each other like that,” Shakur said.
The question is whether Stevenson will face a deeper and more dangerous path under the system he advocates than the one that helped him capture titles at 135 and 140 pounds.
