Shakur Stevenson Hints At Being A Free Agent
Shakur Stevenson is increasingly likely to become a free agent after his contract with Top Rank expires.
Stevenson has one more fight left on his deal following his win over Edwin De Los Santos. The victory made him a three-division champion, but the manner of the performance meant that any fights with the likes of Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis appeared unlikely.
Shakur was heavily booed, increasing suggestions that he would not be able to sell to a broader audience, thus reducing the incentive for Haney and Davis to fight him. That has increased claims that Shakur could go elsewhere to secure those big fights. He first hinted at this by not ruling out a move elsewhere.
Stevenson On His Future
“I’m going to talk to everybody. I’m still in contract, but I’m just letting you know as far as the promoters and everybody that works in boxing. Just pay attention to what I just told y’all. The influence that I have on the next generation is insane. I’m going to talk with everybody. I’m going to explore all options. Top Rank is still an option. It’s not like they’re not an option. They done put me in a great position,” Stevenson said
Now, he has doubled down on those comments.
This naturally begs the question: Who could Shakur face next? Well, his most likely suitors are PBC and DAZAN. Signing with PBC increases the chances of getting the Davis fight since they would be both under the same banner. It also follows PBC’s philosophy of keeping their fights in-house.
At the same time, the drawback could be that Shakur does not get all the fights he wants since PBC has been accused of being hard to deal with when it comes to other networks. Signing with DAZN allows Shakur to get the Devin Haney fight. Haney is a free agent, but his last fight was on DAZN, making it easier to get that over the line. Haney had offered Shakur 25 percent to make the fight at 135 pounds, but Stevenson rejected it, arguing it did not represent his true worth.
Stevenson’s Options
The last option involves making bouts on a fight-by-fight basis or staying with Top Rank to fight in Saudi Arabia. Arum has a foothold in the region by having a co-promotional deal with Tyson Fury. That has allowed him to secure the Undisputed Heavyweight Championship in Riyadh for February 17, 2024. There is also an expectation that Artur Beterbiev will take on Dmitry Bivol for the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Championship. Since Arum represents Beterbiev, there is also the potential for Shakur to join the region.
But before all that can happen, Stevenson must bounce back with an impressive performance in his next fight. By doing so, he increases the chances of getting a better deal and it gives fans the big fights they desire.
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