Promoter Eddie Hearn says if he indicators free agent Shakur Stevenson to his Matchroom steady, the primary combat he needs to match him in opposition to is his #1 WBC challenger, William Zepeda.
Hearn states that he doesn’t need to signal fighters to long-term offers with Matchroom and never have fights for them. Though he didn’t come proper out and say it, he seems to have issues about with the ability to produce marketable fights for Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs), who could be a most cancers for Matchroom if his fights fail to draw viewers and herald new subscribers to DAZN.
The one identify Hearn talks about for Shakur is William Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs), a Golden Boy fighter who fights on DAZN. That might seemingly be a take a look at case to see how Shakur performs and whether or not he brings in subscribers on DAZN.
The Significance of Marketability
If he loses, appears poor, or his fights fail to attract numbers, he gained’t be price Hearn’s giving him a long-term contract as a result of he could be one other fighter in his steady who can’t draw. Hearn already has a fighter with an equivalent safety-first preventing type to Shakur, Richardson Hitchins. He’s not widespread, and his fights are thought of boring within the eyes of many followers.
“When somebody is spinning a story about being boring, then they’re going to leap over each efficiency,” mentioned Eddie Hearn to Fighthype about Shakur Stevenson. “You possibly can’t actually win, and I really feel for Shakur as a result of he’s a one-man band.
“He wants somebody that’s going to combat these fights for him,” mentioned Hearn about Shakur needing somebody who will combat the legion of critics on social media, as if that had been humanly attainable with out shutting down the Web.
Hearn can’t combat Shakur’s fights for him. Nobody can. There are too many critics on the social media, maybe within the hundreds of thousands, and Hearn doesn’t have sufficient staff along with his Matchroom firm to place out the fires on X and Instagram.
Even when a bot had been created to say constructive stuff about Shakur all over the place, individuals would proceed to roast him on a every day.
“I feel he’s going to look even higher in opposition to fighters that come to combat and have comparable qualities,” mentioned Hearn.
Shakur already fought fighters that got here ahead and appeared horrible in opposition to Edwin De Los Santos, Jeremian Nakakthilia, and Joet Gonzalez. The one aggressive fighters that Shakur appeared good in opposition to had been pale older fighters, Oscar Valdez and Jamel Herring.
Hearn wants to sit down down, have a transparent thoughts, and watch Shakur’s combat in opposition to De Los Santos once more earlier than signing him. If he nonetheless indicators Shakur, he ought to make it a one-fight deal and put him in with William Zepeda or Andy Cruz. If he appears poor in opposition to both of these guys, wash his palms of him and transfer on.
The Zepeda Struggle
“I personally really feel that William Zepeda combat is a superb combat for him. He’s additionally a DAZN fighter, in order that’s a combat we may look to make,” mentioned Hearn.
Zepeda is an effective take a look at combat for Shakur as a result of he’s more likely to lose, and if he does win, he’ll look poor by operating from him, as he did in opposition to De Los Santos. Both means, Hearn will study all he wants to find out whether or not to provide Shakur an extended contract. Hearn should beware as a result of he may not like what he discovers from that combat.
“Additionally, there was an enormous crowd in Newark, and it was the largest scores on ESPN this yr. Individuals don’t prefer to champion that type of data an excessive amount of. If he had been with us, I’d be telling the world that type of factor,” mentioned Hearn.
Shakur has that Floyd Mayweather Jr. high quality the place individuals need to watch him as a result of they need to see him lose. He’s like a poor man’s Mayweather, not as proficient as Floyd was when he was previous, and nowhere his stage when he was youthful. However exterior the ring, Shakur’s conceited perspective is equivalent to Floyd’s.
“We’ll see. He’s coming right here Saturday evening. We’d like to work with him. It has to work for Matchroom. It has to work for Shakur. To carry him to the roster could be a fantastic catch,” mentioned Hearn.
“Loads of these promotional corporations prefer to tie you down for 3 years, 4 years, 5 years. It could possibly be a one-fight deal. It could possibly be a two-fight deal. It could possibly be a five-fight deal. It’s started working for us in addition to Shakur,” mentioned Hearn.
Hearn can’t give Shakur a long-term contract as a result of he doesn’t have the steady of expertise to match in opposition to him. If Hearn indicators Shakur, he’ll instantly develop into sad, grumble to the media about him not getting him the fights he needs, and develop into a most cancers.
What Hearn Can Provide Shakur
Andy Cruz
Liam Paro
Richardson Hitchins
Jack Catterall
Regis Prograis
Subriel Matias
Shakur just isn’t going to be completely satisfied preventing any of these guys, and he may lose to some. There have been rumors that Liam Paro harm Shakur in sparring.
Andy Cruz has the boxing expertise to provide Shakur suits; if he doesn’t beat him, he would make him depressing in a tricky combat. That might additionally decrease Shakur’s inventory and make him ineffective for Hearn.
“What I additionally don’t need to do is herald expertise like that on board and never be capable to ship fights for him. That’s why I just like the Zepeda combat. I feel it’s a combat that’s achievable with DAZN and Golden Boy, and it’s a fantastic combat as effectively,” mentioned Hearn.
“That might be the primary port of name. Fights like Tank. Possibly shifting up and preventing Teofimo. Who is aware of if these fights are achievable, however the danger for Shakur just isn’t getting these fights,” mentioned Hearn.
