By Chris Williams: Shakur Stevenson got bold and tried to snatch WBO super featherweight champion Jamel ‘Semper Fi’ Herring’s belt from his shoulders during their face-off on Thursday at their final press conference before this Saturday’s fight at the State Farm Arena in Atlanta.
Challenger Stevenson (16-0, 8 KOs) was showing no respect for the champion Herring (23-2, 11 KOs) in calmly reaching over and trying to snatch it off his shoulder.
Herring held on tightly to his title and stepped back looking like he was going to tag the young upstart Shakur if he kept trying to grab his possession.
It looked like Stevenson came to the press conference with the idea of stealing Herring’s belt from him to try and make him look silly without his belt. That action right there showed that the 2016 Olympic silver medalist Stevenson has NO respect for Herring whatsoever.
Stevenson: People want me to lose
“It’s an awkward style but not a hard style to find,” said Shakur Stevenson to Secondsout about finding sparring partners to emulate Jamel Herring.
“I think Jamel has got a great team with BoMac. He’s used to being the underdog. That works in his favor too.
‘This is not unfamiliar territory. He used to it and now he’s thinking in his brain that with this fight, he’s going to be the underdog and he’s going to go in and do what he’s been doing, but it’s a whole different ballgame with me.
“He’s got to understand that and I can’t wait to show him that. I think a lot of people want me to lose, but they’re not going to get what they want. I worked hard this camp, I’m in great shape, and I’m confident and I’m sharp.
“I’m not going to give everybody what they want. They can keep wishing and praying. It ain’t going to happen.
“I think because Jamel has got a story and he’s going to play the super nice guy, the good guy, and I probably talk a little bit more than him. They want him to win because he’s showing he’s humble and he’s a marine.
“In my last fight, they’re going to call me boring, but then when I go fight Joet [Gonzalez] and I looks spectacular and sharp, they’re going to say I’m the future of the sport.
“Is he going to be the risk-taker? Let’s see where that gets him. After the fight, we can come back and see who is the risk-taker and I’m not much of a risk-taker and all that. Let’s see what he has to say after the fight.
“That shows how good my skills are and how good of a fighter I am,” said Shakur when complimented about how easy his fights are.