Free agent Shakur Stevenson last night revealed the four fights he wants to take part in if he signs with promoter Eddie Hearn's Matchroom.
WBC lightweight champion Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) spoke glowingly about Hearn during an interview at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia and hinted at signing with him.
Shakur will quickly become frustrated if Hearn doesn't give him what he wants for his dream opponent. It would be great if Hearn could give him the fight he wants, but that seems impossible since Hearn won't promote the fighters Shakur wants.
Shakur's Dream Match
Shakur's hit list includes the “Big 4”:
- William Cepeda
- George Kambosos
- Gervonta Tank Davis
- Vasily Lomachenko
If Shakur signs with Hearn and doesn't get the big fight he wants, there's a good chance he'll be bitter, which is why it's important that Hearn only signs Shakur to a short-term contract.
He's going to be a real thorn in Eddie's side very quickly if Eddie doesn't magically get the fight he wants against Cepeda, Tank, Lomachenko or Kambosos.
Shakur, once infected with Hearn, may throw tantrums like a spoiled child and vent 24/7 on social media for months or years to come. For Hearn, it is a poison that cannot be quickly removed and treated, and therefore is a poison he does not need.
Hahn's Realistic Options
Andy Cruz
Liam Paro
Regis Prograis
Jack Catterall
Richardson Hitchens
Subriel Mathias
Jaron Boots Ennis
Unfortunately for Stevenson, the only fighter on Hearn's list he would like to face is the struggling Kambosos Jr. (21-3, 10 KOs), whose career has fallen apart since defeating IBF/WBA/WBO lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez by 12-round split decision on Nov. 27, 2021 in New York.
Kambosos Jr. has lost three of his four fights since then and could lose if he faces IBF light welterweight champion Liam Paro in Australia in November, a bout that is in negotiations and likely to happen.
Shakur would have nothing to gain from fighting Kambosos after his loss to Paro because he has lost too many fights, and it would be a disappointment for American and Australian boxing fans if “The Emperor” Shakur were to challenge for a world title again after being beaten by Liam in November.
“I like Cepeda. If we don't get Cepeda, [George] “Kambosos has been talking a lot on Twitter today and I'd love to set up a fight in Australia and put him at 0-4,” Shakur Stevenson told iFL TV when asked who the top three fighters he would like to face if he were to sign with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing promotions company.
Hearn doesn't have any big names on Shakur's list of four fighters to target, and while he could certainly negotiate with Kambosos, anything would be worth it to Shakur, who is coming off another loss to Palo and is now 1-4 in his last five fights.
“he [Kambosos]Tank, Lomachenko, whoever can get in the ring for the biggest and best fight,” Shakur continued.
Maybe Shakur doesn't want to face the truth, but Hearn can't name any names Shakur wants unless His Excellency steps in and pays big bucks to have Lomachenko, Tank or Cepeda fight Stevenson. That's not going to happen.
“I would say with the energy that he gets, I can definitely perform at my best and show what I'm capable of. I love the energy at Matchroom,” Shakur said when asked how Hearn is different from promoting with Top Rank.
Even at his best, Shakur probably wouldn't be enough to beat three of the four fighters he wants to face at lightweight: His limited power and timid, safe-for-nothing fighting style won't allow him to compete with Tank, Cepeda or Lomachenko.
If Hearn were to sign Shakur, he would add a fighter like Richardson Hitchens to Matchroom's roster, but we'll see how that goes soon. Shakur is Hitchens' smaller, lighter-hitting type, but with a big social media presence. Villain's I'll go full throttle.
“This is not a love gesture. We'll negotiate next week,” Hearn said, chiming in. “Nothing's going to make my hands stronger. He's twisting my hands and cuffing them behind my back. Look, he's a great fighter. I'm a great promoter,” Hearn said.
Thankfully, Hearn has his eyes open and understands Shakur's limitations as a fighter, and he must be aware of how poorly Shakur performed in his last two bouts against Artyom Harutyunyan and Edwin de los Santos. Those efforts were no exception.
They clearly demonstrated the limitations of Shakur's abilities at lightweight. He is not the same fighter at 135 pounds as he was at 130 or 126, when he was bigger and more physical than his opponents. Shakur just can't do that at lightweight, and what little power he has hasn't improved.
“We believe we are a match made in heaven, and if this business works for everyone, we'll definitely have something to say,” Hahn said.
A cautious approach
If Hearn signs Shakur, it should be for one or two fights, but only if it's against a fighter he wants. Shakur won't be happy fighting Andy Cruz, Liam Paro, Richardson Hitchens, or Prograis. Some of them might beat him, and it would be bad for Hearn to see Shakur lose so soon.
