By Brian Webber: Shakur Stevenson is in the early campaign mode, talking up a fight between him & Gervonta Davis, sounding like he’s running for a high-level political office position but without the needed credentials to attain that job.
The main problem that Shakur has is he’s not a huge draw, and he prices himself out when he has the chance to fight the big names.
Moreover, he won’t take risks with his career to increase his popularity by moving up to 140 & 147 to fight guys like Subriel Matias, Gary Antuanne Russell & Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, even though he’s the same size as those fighters.
Shakur’s perception of his own value is totally warped and out of touch with reality. Hence, he prices himself out of the marquee fights that he needs to increase his popularity.
Stevenson (20-0, 10 KOs), who has been busy pricing himself out left & missing out on the fights that would give him the cache to get the mega-payday against Tank Davis, is sounding like a broken record, saying that a match between him and the Baltimore native is the biggest fight in boxing.
It’s obviously not, but that’s not stopping Shakur from continuing to campaign for the fight in the same way Terence Crawford is doing with Canelo Alvarez and getting the same results by being ignored like an annoying housefly.
Skahur sounds hopelessly deluded, given that he’s not a PPV fighter, and blew his chance to fight for the undisputed lightweight championship against Devin Haney by turning down the offer given to him.
The only notable guy on Shakur’s resume is Oscar Valdez, and he was boring in that fight, just like he was in his loss to Robeisy Ramirez when he ran from the Cuban the entire fight in the 2016 Olympics and then cried afterward.
Shakur pricing himself out
Brian Custer: “It looked like you and Frank Martin were going to do this fight in November in Las Vegas for the WBC lightweight title then the fight falls out. You have to tell everyone from your perspective what happened? said Brian to Showtime Sports.
Shakur Stevenson: “I think that Frank Martin got cold feet. Before the fight, it sounded good, but once the fight came to fruition, he got real nervous and didn’t want to fight no more. His excuse and his reasoning was that it wasn’t enough money, but truthfully speaking, it was quadruple of what he’d ever made in his career.
“I don’t mind telling you the numbers. The numbers he made in his career was the highest was 250,000. That fight that he would have fought, he would have fought for [the WBC vacant lightweight] world title, and he would have fought for a million dollars.
“250,000 four times would have given you a million dollars, and that would have been the most money that he ever made in his career.”
Brian: “Why did Frank Martin pull out? Because there are rumors that he has a bigger fight on the horizon. Why do you think he pulled out?”
Shakur: “I don’t think fighters want to lose. Deep down inside, he knows that I’m one of the best fighters in boxing. I think when it came down to it, if he was going to take an L,he wanted to make ten times more than he ever made in his career. I guess four times is not enough.”
Brian: “It almost gave the impression that Shakur was asking for way too much money for this fight. Give me your thoughts.”
Shakur: “You shouldn’t speak on nobody else’s situation if you don’t know the details. My situation and his situation are two different situations. I would never turn down quadruple what I would have made in my career for a world title. I would never do that.”
Brian: “How frustrating is this that Shakur Stevenson can’t get this marquee fight?”
Shakur: “It’s very frustrating. I try to make the biggest fights happen. With the Lomachenko situation, this was another guy that was offered the most money than he would have ever made in his entire career to fight me, and he said, ‘No.’
“With the Frank Martin situation, he was offered the most money than he would have ever made in his career to fight to fight me, and he said, ‘no.’ Honestly, it’s very frustrating trying to get these guys in the ring to try and fight me.”
Is Shakur being avoided?
Brian: “What do you think it will take to get a marquee fight with Shakur Stevenson?
Shakur: “I don’t know. That’s out of my power. I don’t know what I got to do to get these guys in the ring. Maybe I got to go out there and have a bad performance. Maybe have a close fight with somebody, and then maybe somebody will get in the ring with me.”
Brian: “What happened with you and Devin Haney? You were in the ring after his last victory. Do you think that you two will ever fight?”
Shakur: “I want to fight. I’m the guy that went into the ring. I’m the guy that went to him. I want the smoke, I want the drama, but he tried to lowball me; he tried to throw something out there that’s nothing.
“It was pennies. In my last three fights, I made more money than what he offered me. Since I was offered less, I went another route. We didn’t just say no to the fight.
“I went and made myself the mandatory for the belt, and I expressed my mandatory position, and now you see me fighting for the [vacant]WBC title that’s his.
“I’m fighting for his belt [instead of the undisputed lightweight championship that Shakur would have fought for if he’d accepted the 75-25 offer from Haney]. The world can figure out what really happened.
“I’m willing to fight every fighter in the sport of boxing because believe in myself.”
Brian: “What did you think of your big brother Bud [Terence Crawford] when he said he’d like to come up and fight Canelo. I talked to Canelo, and he said, ‘That’s nonsense. What do I get out of that if I fight this guy?’
“He was also talking about fighting Gervonta Davis, and if Gervonta Davis wanted to come up and fight him [at 147], and Bud said, I would beat him because he’s coming up to my weight division.
“I’m too big of a guy. What do I get out of beating Gervonta Davis, and he said the same thing. Canelo said, ‘What do I get out of beating Bud Crawford? What do I get out of beating you because I’m too big for you.’ Your response to that. What do you think?”
Shakur: “It’s a big money fight. Who else will Canelo fight where he would make a huge amount of money? I think Bud Crawford is the perfect fight for him to make a huge amount of money. I look at it from that aspect.
“I get what Canelo is trying to say. I understand what he’s trying to say, but we just got to wait and see. I think skills win fights. I don’t think weight wins fights.”
Stevenson campaigning for Tank fight
Brian: “Who is your big marquee money fight?”
Shakur: “Tank. Me and Tank is the biggest fight in the world when it happens. I’ve been saying it, and I’m going to keep saying it.
“No matter if he wants to go up there and act like he does know my name and he don’t want today my name and give me that type of exposure. I dontcare. I’m going to say the truth. Me and Tank is the biggest fight in the world when it happens.
Brian: “People say, ‘Shakur needs to build his name up. Tank is selling out arenas. Shakur still needs to get to that level. He hasn’t done that yet.’ What’s your reply to that?”
Shakur: “I disagree. Look at my numbers. I’m not no guy that goes out and don’t sell out no arenas. I sell out arenas. I’m doing what I’m supposed to do marketing-wise. I disagree with anybody that has that logic.”
