Trainer Robert Garcia understands why Shakur Stevenson has chosen an easier option for his July 6th exit from Top Rank with his contract ending.
Stevenson will be a promotional free agent, and Robert feels that he wanted an easier fight on his way out from Top Rank rather than taking a tougher one against the unbeaten #2 WBC Raymond Muratalla. However, Shakur says Muratalla wasn’t offered to him by Top Rank, which makes sense.
As Robert points out, why would Top Rank give Shakur one of their good fighters when he’s planning on leaving the company?
It’s unclear what promotional company Shakur will be going to, but with how he recently praised PBC, that was a hint. Shakur would be going there believing that PBC would match him against Gervonta Davis, which might never happen.
Top Rank is expected to match WBC lightweight champion Shakur up against the recently beaten Artem Harutyunyan for a headliner show on July 6th on ESPN at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Missed Opportunity for Muratalla
“I’m not talking bad about Shakur because this is his last fight. ‘This is my last fight with Top Rank; give me the easiest opponent. I’m a free agent, and I go to bigger things,'” said trainer Robert Garcia to ESNEWS about Shakur Stevenson’s last fight with Top Rank on July 6th.
“We wanted that fight in July,” said Robert about wanting his fighter Raymond Muratalla to be Shakur’s opponent for July 6th. “He’s fighting a guy [Artem Harutyunyan] that just lost [to Frank Martin].”
Even if Top Rank did offer Muratalla to Shakur, the chances are that he would turn it down if he already knew he was leaving the company. Why would Shakur want to take a tough fight that would hurt his ability to sign with another promotional company?
The chances are that Shakur would run from Muratalla all night like he did against Edwin De Los Santos, and his stock would continue to plummet.
“I’m like, ‘Why would he fight a guy that just lost?’ But he [Shakur] was honest, too. He said that they [Top Rank] never offered him the fight [with Muratalla]. I believe it, too. I did bring it up to Top Rank. I said, ‘Muratalla is available. That’s his date. Muratalla is available,” said Robert.
Understanding Top Rank
“He said they didn’t bring it up, but I understand Top Rank too. It’s their last fight with Shakur, so why would they feed him one of their own fighters? So, I understand Top Rank. I’m not mad at them. I’m not mad at Shakur for not taking the fight either or not bringing up Muratalla,” said Robert.
Top Rank knew what kind of fighter Shakur was, and they were going to let an entertaining fighter that they could build into a star fight a guy that is leaving their company. Also, it would hurt Muratalla’s popularity if he fought Shakur and he ran all night like he did against De Los Santos. The crowd would boo, and it would be bad.
“Muratalla hasn’t had the opportunity to show what he can do. He can fight, and I think that the better his opponent, the better he’s going to perform,” said Robert.
