Teddy Atlas, pod host, suspects that Prime Rank didn’t need to re-sign Shakur Stevenson as a result of he wasn’t good for enterprise. They wouldn’t have let him get near free company in the event that they needed to maintain Shakur.
Prime Rank’s Hidden Agenda
Atlas believes Prime Rank deliberately matched Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) in opposition to a weaker opponent, Artem Harutyunyan, final Saturday night time, figuring out there was a very good likelihood he would fail to impress in victory. They knew he’d win, however he would present his shortcomings.
Shakur might have impressed by destroying Harutyunyan, however that’s not his type of preventing. He did attempt to rating a knockout, however he couldn’t do it and wound up wanting poor as all the time.
Based mostly on that efficiency, Atlas believes that Shakur could have problem discovering one other promoter involved in signing him except they’ll produce Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis for him, which might make some huge cash in a one-fight deal. Aside from that, Shakur isn’t value paying a lot to, and his fights fail to herald scores, promote tickets, or do nicely on PPV.
Atlas Questions Prime Rank’s Motives
“I don’t assume they needed to signal him. They let him change into a free agent,” stated Teddy Atlas on his YouTube channel about his perception that Prime Rank wasn’t actually involved in re-signing Shakur Stevenson.
“In the event that they needed him, they wouldn’t have let him get that far. They picked an opponent that wasn’t that tough,” stated Atlas on Prime Rank selecting a straightforward choice, giving him Artem Harutyunyan for Shakur’s ultimate combat of his contract with them.
Shakur possible needed a large contract for him to re-sign with Prime Rank, which wouldn’t have made sense for them except he turned a PPV attraction and if they might match him in opposition to Tank Davis and Vasily Lomachenko.
Stevenson would possible by no means be a PPV draw except he was preventing these two, and it’s questionable whether or not Prime Rank might have made these fights.
“In the event that they actually needed to do away with him, they might have put him in with a man they thought might beat him, as a result of then they know he’s leaving. In order that they try to do him a unclean on the way in which out. They know that, they usually couldn’t afford to pay for that,” stated Atlas.
“In order that they went the opposite route. ‘We’re going to provide him a man he ought to shine with,’ and I feel they thought he wouldn’t as a result of they know what he’s. He’s a terrific expertise, however he’s not thrilling.
“You set him in with a man that he can dismantle, however you additionally know he might present his shortcomings, too. It’s an leisure enterprise. He’s going to point out why we let his contract run out. Prime Rank made him a millionaire,” stated Atlas about Shakur.
Stevenson possible didn’t get the cash in his contract with Prime Rank that we noticed Ryan Garcia get from one combat in opposition to Tank Davis. Shakur’s failure to change into a PPV attraction for Prime Rank damage his money-making means.
“They put him in a combat the place he’s going to sink or swim and present whether or not he’s going to get every other individuals , clamoring once more and networks clamoring to place him on. I don’t know many individuals that will pay $80 for PPV for him,” stated Atlas about Shakur.
Stevenson’s efficiency in opposition to Hartuyunyan may not damage his marketability if a possible promoter like Matchroom, PBC, or Mayweather Promotions can produce Tank Davis or if they’ll shield him lengthy sufficient to show him into one other Floyd clone.
Shakur doesn’t have Mayweather’s expertise, however he’s boastful like he was throughout his profession and has an analogous means of getting followers to look at his fights by them desirous to see him lose.
Stevenson’s Marketability and Future Choices
“If that’s the case, why would Prime Rank need to re-sign him? It’s a enterprise. It’s about what number of seats he can promote and the PPV he can promote. If that was their objective, they achieved that,” stated Atlas about Prime Rank, placing Shakur in with a fighter he was alleged to dominate however didn’t, decreasing his marketability as he was going out the door into free company.
It’s not Prime Rank’s fault that Shakur did not impress in opposition to a fighter that he was alleged to dominate. If Shakur is as he tells followers, he ought to have destroyed Harutyunyan, provided that he’s a fringe contender coming off a loss to Frank Martin.
This was somebody that different light-weight fighters would have simply crushed. Even the 20-year-old prospect Abdullah Mason would have possible made simple work of Harutyunyanm, however he’s not rated within the prime 15 at light-weight.
