Las Vegas, Nevada – November 16: Shakur Stevenson steps into the ring to fight 12 rounds … [+]
On Saturday night in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey, Shakur Stevenson defeated Artem Harutyunyan in what may be the 27-year-old WBC lightweight champion's final bout with Top Rank Boxing.
The win improved Stevenson's professional record to 22-0 and terminated his contract with Top Rank Boxing, his only previous promoter. The former Olympian and three-division champion is now a free agent.
Stevenson could have avoided free agency had he accepted a five-fight contract reportedly worth $15 million, but he still felt he was worth more, as he stated in an interview with Mark Kriegel that aired on ESPN before the win over Harutyunyan.
Stevenson has a point, and it seems like Top Rank is going to test him out as a free agent to make sure. Stevenson may have more talent than any fighter in his weight class, but he doesn't fight in the style most fans enjoy.
He's a defense-first fighter who emphasizes the fine science of hitting and not getting hit in its purest form. Stevenson also lacks the compelling, polarizing personality that other fighters have used to fill in the gaps when their fighting styles were less appealing to fans. A prime example of a fighter who has overcome the stigma of being boring is Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Early in his career, Mayweather was a knockout-focused action fighter, but as he moved up the weight classes, he adopted a more energy-conserving style that emphasized improved offensive and defensive skills, which some argue made his matches more boring.
Maybe, but Mayweather was intense outside of the ring. He adopted the Money Mayweather persona, which, combined with his incredible skill, made him a megastar. Could Stevenson follow a similar game plan? Yes, it's possible. After all, Mayweather also began his career with Bob Arum and Top Rank.
In the end, Mayweather was released from his contract because Arum didn't think he could out-bid Oscar De La Hoya. Mayweather bet on himself, and he won. Stevenson will likely try to do the same if he doesn't re-sign with Top Rank, but the crown of both extremes weighs on his head.
Can Stevenson endure being the most hated guy in the room, as he was for years before Mayweather developed his own massive following?
That remains to be seen. Meanwhile, Stevenson has begun to receive public advice from a variety of sources. On Monday, his mentor, Terence Crawford, one of the greatest defenders of all time, gave Stevenson some blunt advice about X.
Crawford's post sounds like an invitation to leave TopRank and find a better job elsewhere — a situation he knows a little about, having risen through the ranks at the company before leaving.
Crawford is affiliated with Riyadh Season and will be in the main event of Saudi Arabia's first American boxing card on August 3 when he will fight Israil Madrimov for the WBA 154-pound title, an intriguing prospect. Stevenson could be the next fighter on a Saudi Arabian card, opening a new chapter in his career and in the boxing world.
Former world champion Iche Smith also shared his thoughts and advice for Stevenson about X. Smith believes Gervonta Davis should fight Vasyl Lomachenko and then fight Stevenson in his next bout.
He added that it was “smart” for Premier Boxing Champions to sign Stevenson to a two-fight deal to get in on the potential mega-fight between Shakur and Tank.
As boxing purists, we should be happy with Smith's offer, and the deal will allow Stevenson to make the most of his free agency, at least in the short term.
A deal with Riyadh Season could bring him just as much or even more money, but either way, Stevenson would have to prove himself against top competition to earn the $15 million he turned down from Top Rank or more.
