Shakur Stevenson says he's “not motivated enough” to fight Artem Harutyunyan this Saturday night in Newark, New Jersey. He wants to silence naysayers who see him as slow and lacking in courage.
Angry personality
WBC lightweight champion Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs) is upset that fans no longer see him as “that guy” after his win over Edwin de los Santos last November.
The 27-year-old Shakur is hoping to prove fans wrong about him when he takes on Harutyunyan (13-1, 7 KOs) in the main event on ESPN on July 6 at the Prudential Center in Newark.
Stevenson initially justified his booed performance against de los Santos by blaming it on injury, but now says he's the puncher and had to fight the way he did.
He claims to have fought Oscar Valdez in the pocket, but that's not accurate – Shakur was on a motorcycle when he fought him, and even more so when he fought Jeremiah Nacatillia.
If Shakur can't at least occasionally take on a puncher in the pocket, it will be difficult for him to establish himself as a marketable fighter in the 135-pound division, which is filled with fighters with power.
Desire to deliver a great show
“I'm at a higher level than Frank Martin. I think Artem is a good fighter, but he's going to be fighting someone else on July 6,” Shakur Stevenson said on Sean Zittel's YouTube site. “I'm fired up. Now that I'm fired up, he's got to fight a very motivated guy. I'm coming to put on a show.”
In terms of entertainment value, Shakur is far inferior to Frank Martin, but not better. Shakur may be a better fighter in his own way, but he's not nearly as entertaining as Martin, and he's not anywhere near the more exciting challengers in the lightweight division.
“It comes from people trying to make fun of me and act like I'm who I say I am,” Stevenson said. “I've been losing so many times, it's frustrating, and I'm up against a tough fighter. I got myself in a bad situation. A lot of people threw me out of the room. 'He's not like this.'”
Many boxers see Shakur as delusional. He is the classic example of a fighter with an enormous ego who is unable to recognize his weaknesses and correct them to adapt. He is not self-aware, and that is the problem.
Stevenson's ego prevents him from seeing the flaws in his game and he is unable to change despite the overwhelming feedback from fans. Instead of listening to the fans, Shakur is entrenched in his own flawed views and unwilling to change. Shakur is his own worst enemy.
“It'll be funny. What will they say if I start hitting people? They'll find a reason. They'll call Artyom a pizza delivery man. They'll try to take away my achievements and say I'm not that kind of guy. But it'll be okay, because one day I'll get the chance to prove them wrong.”
The challenge of proving marketability
“I've fought so many punchers in my career, so that logic doesn't make sense,” Shakur said when asked if his performances against Edwin de los Santos and Jeremiah Nacacilia made him comfortable throwing punches at punchers.
If Shakur is unwilling to put himself in danger to get into a gunfight with his opponents, it's going to be hard for him to be a popular fighter. Shakur is currently winning by landing one shot and retreating, which is not exciting for fans who want to see an exciting fight.
It's surprising that Shakur can't understand why fans criticize him for not seeing him as a must-watch TV star. His fighting style isn't worth the time it takes to watch. In this entertainment age with the Internet and cable TV with its many channels, it's more important than ever for a fighter to entertain.
“Sometimes it's not smart to get in the pocket against a puncher. Some punchers get in the pocket. Against Valdez, I got in the pocket,” Stevenson said.
