Shakur Stevenson is rumored to be the next signing by promoter Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing USA.
The unbeaten WBC lightweight champion Shakur’s contract with current promoters at Top Rank expires with his fight on July 6th in New Jersey, making him a free agent.
Hearn’s Growing Stable
Thaboxingvoice reports that Matchroom is targeting the unbeaten Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs) to add to their stable, giving them another big addition to the U.S. part of its promotional company.
Hearn recently signed IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis. That move gives Hearn the #1 fighter in the 147-lb division. If Hearn can bag the 26-year-old Shakur Stevenson, he will have a future star if he can finish building him.
Wasted Potential at Top Rank
Top Rank has tried but has been unsuccessful at realizing Shakur’s potential to turn him into the 24K gold they’d hoped he would be by now. Some fans believe Shakur wore out his welcome with Top Rank after his lackluster performance last November against Edwin De Los Santos.
Shakur spent most of that fight on the move, trying not to get his head taken off by De Los Santos, and the crowd at ringside booed him nonstop, even after the fight.
In addition to signing Boots Ennis, Hearn recently inked IBF light welterweight champion Subriel Matias, who some feel is the best fighter at 140 and more than capable of defeating WBC champ Devin Haney and WBO belt holder Teofimo Lopez.
Hearn may need to outbid PBC for land Shakur Stevenson, as Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions company is expected to try to sign him. Hearn has an advantage in the race to sign Shakur on the dates he would have for him.
A Busier Schedule with Matchroom
With PBC only having a handful of dates per year with their new platform at Amazon Prime Video, Shakur might find himself limited to one or two fights a year. If he’s fine with that, he might not have an issue.
By signing with Hearn, Shakur could be kept busy, fighting three or more times a year, which is what he will need to become a star with his Mayweather-esque fighting style.
Shakur fights the way Floyd Mayweather Jr. did when he got older, playing it safe, making it boring, not when he was at the ‘Pretty Boy’ phase of his career, slugging it out, making it exciting, and scoring knockouts.