By Brian Webber: Shakur Stevenson vehemently disagreed with the outcome of last Saturday’s twelve round majority decision victory for George Kambosos Jr (21-2, 10 KOs) over Maxi Hughes (26-5-2, 5 KOs), believing that it was a classic example of a robbery with the wrong guy winning the fight in their IBF lightweight title eliminator at the Firelake Arena in Shawnee, Oklahoma.
Like many fans at ringside and on social media, Shakkur had Hughes winning the fight. The judges felt differently, giving it to the A-side fight Kambosos by the scores 114-114, 117-111, and 115-113.
Hughes made Kambosos look really bad, like a second-tier fighter, with the ease with which he beat him. It’s unclear what the three Oklahoma judges were thinking when they come up with their score, but the world disagrees with them.
Hughe was hitting Kambosos with left hands to the body & head all night and making him miss. Only a couple of the rounds were close, and Kamboso only appeared to win one round. It was a complete masterclass, and anyone with their eyes wide open could see it.
When Shakur was asked if he would like to fight Kambosos next, he immediately made a face and said he wasn’t interested.
You can understand why Shakur wouldn’t want to fight Kambosos because A. He would be tainted for fighting a guy coming off a controversial win. B. He would be labeled a cherry picker. C. Possibility of he, too, being robbed.
Shakur Stevenson: “I thought it was a robbery. I thought Maxi boxed well, and I thought he was the better fighter.”
Bernardo Osuna: “You’ve seen enough boxing and have been around long enough. When you get a scorecard 117-111 the other way, and that’s what’s really going to dominate the headlines instead of the performance that Maxi Hughes put forth.”
Shakur: “I think that the judges should be held to a higher criteria. I think that they should be focused on the boxers, and I think they should do a lot more to become a judge. I feel like they’re not watching the fights and paying too much attention to the fights. I think it’s messing up boxing.”
Osuna: “I know you were paying attention because George Kambosos has been mentioned as a potential opponent for you, as has Vasily Lomachenko. Would you like to fight George Kambosos?”
Shakur: “I want to fight the best of the best. As of right now, Kambosos is not on my level. I want to fight the Lomachenkos, the Devin Haneys, the Gervonta Davis. Them are the fights I’m looking for. If you see me fighting Kambosos, y’all know I’m going to stop him. That’s how I feel about it.
“I don’t feel like he’s on that level, but if I don’t have no choice and he’s the next step down, I’ll beat him up too.”
Osuna: “I know you want to fight Devin Haney because he’s the undisputed lightweight champion. It seems that he’s got an extension from the WBC to move up to 140 lbs and make that fight with Regis Prograis. It seems like that’s going to happen. If that happens, you’re #1 & 2 with Vasily Lomachenko with the WBO & WBC. What would that do for you if Devin Haney vacates the title?”
Shakur: “Let’s prove it to the world. I want to show the world I’m ready for the top dogs, the big dogs in the division. Haney just fought Lomachenko. If he don’t want to fight me and it’s me and Lomachenko left, I feel as though I want to put on a performance where I beat him up and show the world how much of a great fighter I am.”
Osuna: “That’s exactly what the world needs and what boxing wants.”
Shakur to Kambosos: “If they don’t fight me, we can make it happen, and I’m going to stop you.”
Kambosos: “Stop me? I don’t think so.”
Shakur: “Hey, I’m going to stop you and beat the s**t out of you.”
Joe Tessitore: “That was the Kambosos crew trying to get a fight with Shakur Stevenson, urging him on. Listen, Shakur doesn’t back down with anybody when it comes to those kinds of exchanges, but you heard what he said about the level of fight he wants.
“There’s a path to arrive to 114-114. You got to give some of these rounds to Kambosos for trying to be the aggressor. Maybe you can get to 114-114. You cannot arrive at 117-111, Bernardo. You can’t do it. The math can’t get you there at 117-111,” Kambosos.”
Osuna: “That’s exactly why I asked Maxi Hughes if he was about that, and I asked Shakur Stevenson the same thing because, unfortunately, Maxi Hughes’ performance is going to be overshadowed by one thing, and that’s the ridiculous 117-111 scorecard that always seems to come out in every fight.
“The out of left field, what the hell were you watching scorecard because even 115-113 & 114-114, you can make some kind of sloppy argument for it, but you cannot defend 117-111. That always diminishes the work that they do in the ring when they risk their lives.”
Tessitor: “That 117-111 scorecard. That is the one that is blowing up the boxing Twitter verse, where six out of the last seven rounds by [judge] Joe Mason were scored for George Kambosos. He gave him nine rounds.
“Wouldn’t you love just as an exercise to sit down with Joseph Mason. We’ll sit down and have some drinks and pizza together, and I want you to show me the nine rounds.”
Tim Bradley: “Yeah, but we can’t. That’s the problem. We can’t ask the judge how he judged the fight or why he did it that way when it was clearly Maxi Hughes’ fight. That’s the biggest issue in boxing.
“Another bad decision, and now Maxi Hughes is going home beltless. Think about this. This is the champion. He came over here to fight George Kambosos, dominates him, and now he’s going back home.
“Think about how long it took him to get to this position and how long it’s going to take for him to get in this position again.”
Mark Kriegel: “I think the judge should sit down, Joseph Mason, and sit down with a beer & pizza with Maxi Hughes and explain it and maybe his wife. In all fairness, he made something tonight. He got a lot of shine tonight. He just didn’t get what he deserved. “