Shakur Stevenson has been quiet on social media since information broke that he’ll defend his WBC light-weight title towards lately knocked-out former IBF tremendous featherweight champion Joe Cordina on October twelfth in Riyadh.
Given all of the speak that Shakur has finished about desirous to battle Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Vasily Lomachenko, it’s a foul look on his half to battle Cordina. Shakur calls himself the most effective fighter within the light-weight division, however nobody takes him critically, and even much less so now.
Cordina: A Controversial Title Shot
Stevenson brags so much, referring to himself and Tank because the “Two Kings” of the light-weight division, however his performances and low-level opposition recommend he’s a phony.
If the battle with Shakur occurs, Cordina (17-1, 9 KOs) will get what many view as an undeserving title shot in his first battle at 135 after being knocked out by Anthony Cacace on Might 18th.
Eddie Hearn promotes Cordina, so he’s giving him what might be a ultimate massive payday as a result of he’s not anticipated to win and even be aggressive towards the 2016 Olympian Shakur. After Cordina loses this battle, his profession will probably sink.
That is reportedly a one-fight deal for Shakur. He needs to be a free agent subsequent yr, and signing with Hearn’s Matchroom will assist him get a battle towards Tank Davis.
Hearn will probably signal Shakur to a long-term deal in 2025 after he fights Tank, however he won’t if the Baltimore native destroys him.
Stevenson has not appeared good in his final two fights at 135, which might point out that he’s unable to deal with the fighters’ energy within the light-weight division. He began his profession at 126, the place he had an enormous dimension benefit over his opposition.
It was the identical when Shakur moved to tremendous featherweight [130]. Nevertheless, since Shakur moved as much as light-weight in 2023, he’s had issues with the fighters’ energy and aggression. Stevenson seems to be precisely like Adrien Broner did when he moved up from tremendous featherweight a few years in the past.
Broner was a star at 130, however when he moved up in weight, his energy didn’t carry up, and he turned a mediocre fighter, on the lookout for paydays and getting crushed repeatedly. Shakur is an ideal copy of Broner, however he hasn’t matched but towards anybody good at 135.
Final November, Stevenson’s battle towards Edwin De Los Santos advised followers all they wanted to learn about his viability at light-weight. He can’t deal with the ability of the fighters within the 135-lb division and has turned rabbit. You’ll be able to see the worry in Shakur in his three fights at light-weight, and he’s not designed bodily for this weight class.
Unable to take care of the more durable pictures, Shakur seems to be skittish in his fights, exhibiting that he’s not comfy with the ability of his place. Furthermore, Shakur lacks the pop in his punches to maintain these fighters off him.
In different phrases, Stevenson is a fish out of water and may’t exist on dry land within the light-weight division. Therefore, he’s pushing laborious for a big-money cash-out battle towards Tank Davis. He needs that massive payday earlier than he’s uncovered.
Is Stevenson Avoiding Killers at 135?
Shakur seems to be bodily unable to deal with the ability of fighters at 135, which is probably going why his promoters have saved him away from Raymond Muratalla, Abdullah Mason, Andy Cruz, and Floyd Schofield.
They know what they’ve in Shakur, they usually’re defending him as a result of he’s not constructed to combine it with the ability guys at light-weight. He ought to return from whence he got here at 130 or 126, however clearly, the purses are a lot smaller in these weight courses because of the fighters being obscure to the common fan.
Shakur’s final opponent, Artem Harutyunyan, had misplaced his earlier battle when he was picked out to problem for his WBC 135-lb title final July in Newark, New Jersey.
