IS SHAKUR STEVENSON REALLY A "TRACK STAR"?
Shakur Stevenson has been criticized by fans for his fighting style ahead of his upcoming bout with Artem Harutyunyan. Stevenson, who will defend his WBC Lightweight Title on July 6, has been accused of being a "track star" for his backfoot fighting technique.
In his last fight, Stevenson won the vacant belt against Edwin De Los Santos but was booed for his performance. Despite his victory, fans were disappointed as De Los Santos struggled to cut the ring off while Stevenson jabbed and moved. Stevenson later revealed he had a hand injury going into the fight, but the damage to his reputation was done.
Fans' perception of Stevenson has significantly dipped, with many labeling him as not being an exciting fighter. This comes at a critical time as Stevenson is in the final fight of his Top Rank contract and might explore free agency. He needs a standout performance to attract big promoters who see him as a generational talent.
Stevenson himself addressed the criticism, claiming that Harutyunyan would be the one running in their fight. “It depends on how tough he is and how much punishment he can take. I know he’s going to start running, and then I got to cut the ring. This dude is a good fighter. I think a lot of the public don’t know him. So they think how good he is. Right now, I think the mode that I’m in and what I’ve got going on in my brain, I want to come in and put punishment on him. It may start out as a boxing match, and then I may start beating the…out of him. Understand, we’re going the job done by any means. In round six or seven, he’s going to start moving all around. I’ve got to cut the ring off a little bit,” Stevenson said.
Harutyunyan showed his boxing skills in his last fight against Frank Martin, outboxing him for large parts of the fight before losing momentum. Harutyunyan’s strategy might involve keeping things tight, which could force Stevenson to open up more.
Promoter Eddie Hearn has expressed interest in signing Stevenson, highlighting potential fights with Devin Haney and Liam Paro. Hearn praised Stevenson as one of the best fighters pound-for-pound but criticized his current promotion.
“If Shakur wants to pledge his future, you make a significant investment. If it’s a two, three-fight deal, he’s going to be getting a lot of money, and it’s got to work for you as well. I think Shakur, pound-for-pound, is one of the best fighters in the world. He may be unbeatable. He’s that good, but I think he’s been promoted terribly. I think some of that is because when Bob [Arum] knows a fighter is looking to leave, he’s out. For the revenue he creates for the show, he’s earned a lot of money, but he hasn’t been pushed to make him a commercial success. I like him. I think he’s a great fighter and would be an incredible addition to the Matchroom team. If he’s available, we’ll definitely be having a conversation; whether it works for both of us, we’ll have to see,” Hearn said.
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