Shakur Stevenson: Assessing The Lightweight Champion’s Promoter Options
WBC lightweight world champion Shakur Stevenson fought his last fight as a Top Rank boxer last Saturday – an expectedly routine points victory over Artem Harutyunyan in Newark, New Jersey.
As one of the best and most skilled boxers on the planet, Stevenson should have his pick of the promoters as the undefeated American plots the next chapter of his glittering career. Unfortunately for the three-weight world champion, boxing isn’t that simple, and for prospective promoters who want to get on the Stevenson train, the numbers have to make sense.
In the case of Stevenson, they often don’t. Despite accomplishments to rival the biggest stars, the 27-year-old is not anywhere near the same bracket as Canelo Alvarez, Anthony Joshua or Gervonta Davis in terms of pulling power, and therefore the biggest paydays.
Stevenson even struggles to generate the same level of interest as fighters like Ryan Garcia, who’s never won a world title yet still leverages his profile and self-promotion to earn seven- and eight-figure purses.
It leaves Stevenson and potential promoters in an interesting position; here is an exceptional world champion – one of the finest of his generation – constantly engaged in title fights, yet his style and relative lack of marketability make him a difficult sell.
Could the right promoter view Stevenson as a worthy project? A fighter who, with the right marketing and exposure, could begin to generate the revenue his talent and status deserve? Which promoters could that be? Here is a look at some of the fighter’s options.
Stevenson Could Stay With Top Rank
It’s an unlikely outcome at this stage considering the tension between Stevenson and Top Rank president Bob Arum, but there is an enticing offer on the table. Top Rank offered the WBC lightweight champion a five-fight deal worth $15 million, which he turned down, believing he is worth a lot more.
Even if Top Rank offered more to Stevenson, the chances of him renewing seem remote having accused the company and Arum of attempting to derail his career.
“Their purpose is to destroy me by any means necessary,” Stevenson said after his win over Harutyunyan. “The arena was packed, I’m a draw, they can’t stop me… Top Rank and them’s whole purpose was to try to put me down because I didn’t re-sign. When I’m fighting on Thursday nights, they were trying to bring my value down.”
However, as the only official offer so far, Top Rank by default could still be in contention.
Mayweather Promotions ‘An Option For Sure’
Stevenson revealed this week that a switch to Mayweather Promotions could be a possibility, telling CigarTalk: “It’s an option, for sure. I got nothing but respect and love for Floyd. At the end of the day, I wouldn’t mind working with Floyd as long as it makes sense, and it is a partnership type of thing. I appreciate Floyd.”
A move to Mayweather Promotions would provide the added intrigue of ‘Tank’ Davis having recently cut ties with the company. Stevenson’s lightweight rival and Mayweather have been engaged in a public spat in recent months, so a potential bout between the two champions would have added tension should Stevenson join the Mayweather stable.
Hearn Suggests Matchroom Wants Stevenson
Despite claims from Arum that Eddie Hearn and Matchroom are not interested in signing Stevenson, recent comments from Hearn suggest otherwise.
“I think right now Shakur Stevenson is one of the most talked about fighters in the world,” Hearn told Seconds Out. “Right now, and it’s been like this for a while, it’s Shakur against the world.
“There’s no promoter, there’s no mouthpiece, there’s no megaphone saying ‘this kid’s pound-for-pound elite, this kid’s doing pound-for-pound numbers in Europe, look at the ratings of this kid on ESPN,'” Hearn continued. “Instead, it’s just him battling away on Twitter which I don’t always recommend because I think you can just never win.
“The reality is, and I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Shakur Stevenson may be unbeatable. Shakur is brilliant. Sometimes his style is not all-out aggressive, Arturo Gatti. But guess what? He’s winning these fights really fighting them the way he wants to fight.
“I think when you see him fight [Gervonta] ‘Tank’ [Davis], when you see him fight maybe even [William] Zepeda, you’re going to see the best Shakur Stevenson,” Hearn said. “I know I can make him a star because that’s easy for me in all honesty.
“For me, it’s easy work with Shakur Stevenson. I’ve got the dates, I’ve got the platform, I’ve got the megaphone — let’s do it. But the deal’s got to be right for everybody.”
Stay As A Free Agent
Stevenson could follow a similar path to close friend and training partner Terence Crawford. The former two-weight undisputed champion left Top Rank under similar conditions, accusing Arum and the company of stifling his career.
Crawford is now a free agent, working with promoters on a fight-by-fight basis. He has also been helped by his new partnership with Turki Alalshikh, the mastermind behind Saudi Arabia’s enormous investment in boxing under the Riyadh Season banner.
Crawford will headline Riyadh Season’s first international card when he faces WBA super-welterweight champion Israil Madrimov in Los Angeles on August 3.
With Riyadh Season hosting more events internationally – Daniel Dubois v Anthony Joshua in London on September 21 is also a Riyadh Season show – it opens up more possibilities for fighters to get in on Saudi’s involvement without limiting themselves to fighting in Riyadh.
Stevenson could view this as a viable option, and given his close ties to Crawford, and Crawford’s close ties to Alalshikh, the door is surely open for the lightweight star.
