Shakur Stevenson should look good tonight in his battle in opposition to Artem Harutyunyan for a lot of causes, beginning along with his looming free company.
(Credit score: Mikey Williams/Prime Rank)
Free Company and the Quest for a Profitable Deal
Shakur (21-0, 10 KOs), the WBC light-weight champion, needs to be supplied an excellent cope with a serious promoter, like Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom, however he received’t get the supply he needs if he fails to impress.
Harutyunyan (13-1, 7 KOs) might make issues troublesome for Shakur to win and look as a result of he received’t knock him out with out standing in entrance of him.
Focusing on Harutyunyan’s Weak point
Shakur indicated on the weigh-in on Friday that he’s going to focus on Harutyunyan’s midsection, which is an space the place Frank Martin discovered his best success final yr of their conflict in July 2023.
Stevenson additionally needs a unification battle in opposition to WBA light-weight champion Gervonta Davis as a result of he feels that battle is winnable and can flip him right into a PPV star.
If Shakur, 27, will get that battle, he may win, however provided that he fights in the identical hit-and-run supervisor he did in opposition to Edwin De Los Santos.
Davis Combat Unlikely Subsequent
“That’s the battle [Gervonta Davis vs. Shakur Stevenson] that all of us need, however you bought to deal with the man in entrance of him. It’s not about successful. Yeah, all of us assume he’s going to win this battle,” stated boxing professional Chris Algieri to Probox TV about Shakur Stevenson’s battle tonight in opposition to Artem Harutyunyan.
Shakur isn’t going to get a battle in opposition to Tank Davis subsequent, regardless of how good he appears tonight. Tank’s administration needs the unification battle in opposition to IBF champion Vasily Lomachenko in November.
If Tank wins that battle, there’s a risk of a rematch with Lomachenko after which a second battle with Ryan Garcia. A rematch between these two can be far larger than one involving Shakur, who’s nowhere close to as fashionable as Ryan.
Shakur may need to attend till 2026 on the earliest for an opportunity to battle Tank Davis, however that’s assuming he isn’t overwhelmed by one of many contenders like William Zepeda, Raymond Muratalla, or Abdullah Mason.
Want for a Assertion Victory
If Edwin De Los Santos got here near beating Shakur, these guys would have a good larger probability.
“Wanting good issues. It’s not about successful or dropping. It’s how good he can look. Artem was saying [at the weigh-in]. ‘All people needs you to lose,’ and Shakur was like, ‘I do know, however I’m coming for you. It’s not going to occur.’ He [Shakur] goes, ‘I’m going proper there [Harutyunyan’s body]. I hope you probably did your situps.’
“I believe Shakur goes to go on the market and attempt to get Artem out of there. I believe that might be a extremely huge assertion if he’s capable of cease him, whereas Frank Martin didn’t. Frank Martin really struggled with Artem late,” stated Algieri.
Shakur virtually has to attempt to knock Harutyunyan out to indicate followers that his final poor efficiency was only a fluke factor. Once more, Stevenson must impress to get an enormous supply from one of many different promoters.
Restricted Choices with Matchroom
I’m unsure that Matchroom will assist Shakur obtain his finish purpose of getting the Tank Davis as a result of they haven’t any management over him. All they’ll do is supply him a battle in opposition to Andy Cruz at light-weight, which might be a tough battle for him and the 140-pounders they’ve. None of them are fashionable.
If Shakur indicators with Matchroom, he might be restricted to those fighters: Liam Paro, Andy Cruz, Richardson Hitchins, Regis Prograis, Jack Catterall and Subriel Matias.
“He’s a tricky man. He’s the kind of man stylistically that may actually make Shakur look good. I believe Shakur ought to take this chance to make a press release with the remainder of the lightweights as a result of he’s able proper now the place that huge battle, that mega-fight, that end-goal kind with Tank Davis is inside attain,” stated Algieri.
I don’t suppose Harutyunyan could make Shakur look good. He regarded good in opposition to gradual fighters or ones with out energy. Harutyunyan has sufficient velocity and energy to maintain Shakur from dominating him like he did in his first battle at 135 in opposition to Shuichiro Yoshino.
He didn’t look good in opposition to De Los Santos, Robson Conceicao, Oscar Valdez, and Jeremiah Nakathilia. Followers discovered these fights boring, and Shakur spent a lot of the time on the run.
