Shakur Stevenson has signed a contract with Matchroom Boxing for his next fight against former IBF super featherweight champion Joe Cordina on October 12th in a Riyadh Season event on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol at the Kingdom Arena in Saudi Arabia.
Some feel this is a demotion for Shakur, with him being relegated to undercard status after two consecutive lackluster performances. Still, it’s more of a case of his fight against Cordina being nowhere at the level to take the top spot from the Beterbiev-Bivol undisputed light heavyweight championship bout, which is a different galaxy in terms of quality fighting.
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’s one fight removed from being a world champion.
Hearn’s High Hopes for Stevenson
Promoter Eddie Hearn believes he can transform Shakur into a superstar in the U.S., but that will be thought because his fighting style is outdated and more suited to a different era before cable television, UFC, and social media. To be a star in this era, you’ve got to entertain, and Shakur falls far short of that mark.
It’s believed this is 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 ranked WBC contender William Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) in February. That’s the risky make-or-break one for Shakur, who has never fought anyone near as good as Zepeda in the pro ranks, and the wheels could come off.
The Dream Match: Gervonta Davis
The fight that Hearn is chomping at the bit for is Gervonta Davis for Shakur in 2025, but he’s got to get past Cordina and Zepeda first before they can tackle the negotiations for that fight. Even Cordina is a dangerous fight for Shakur because he’ll be swinging for the fences with nothing to fear. Cordina is lethal against non-punchers, and Shakur can’t crack eggs with his shots.
That will be difficult to put together because if Shakur insists on a 50-50 deal, the talks will implode, and he’ll be right back where he started; he’ll continue struggling 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 nowadays, and there are too many other things to look at than watching a boring ‘Hit and don’t get hit’ fighter. Shakur would struggle to gain fans even during Mayweather’s era.
“Shakur Stevenson is 27 and already a three-division World champion and might be unbeatable in the sport of boxing,” said Hearn. “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 that he deserves. The journey begins on October 12 in Riyadh on a huge card, and we cannot wait for the future together.”
This should be a good pairing 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 hyping up his fighters’ contests.
When he has a guy struggling and no longer able to keep his head above the waterline, like Anthony Joshua, he can protect them with soft match-making. He may need to do that with Shakur if he signs him to a long-term deal.
Shakur’s three division title wins:
- 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, these are what’s in store for him at Matchroom:
Andy Cruz
Cameron Vuong
Gary Cully
If that’s all there is for Shakur with Matchroom, Hearn will have a lot of trouble turning him into a global superstar like he hopes. This isn’t ‘Field of Dreams,’ where you create something and hope fans will want to see it. Shakur is not the cup of tea for fans, at least in the U.S.
Maybe the Brits will fancy Shakur’s safety-first style, but I wouldn’t count on it. A fighter that is an eye-sore for U.S. fans is the same for the Brits.
MONEY MONEY MONEY 💰
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) August 22, 2024