WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson met with 135-lb prospect Abdullah Mason in the dressing room last Friday night on November 8, to give him pearls of wisdom after he survived a scare in his fight against veteran Yohan Vasquez at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia.
Following Shakur’s advice could limit Abdullah Mason’s star power, making him one of the cookie-cutter safety-first fighters who will never be popular. Shakur’s style, which is a throwback to Mayweather’s old boring style, doesn’t belong in the modern era of boxing.
That’s why fans keep booing Shakur out of venues; he doesn’t belong. If there was a working time machine, Shakur should be sent back to 1995, when fans were more tolerant of his style of fighting because, in this era of competition from other sports, he doesn’t belong.
Mason, 20, was dropped twice by Vasquez in round one but came back to knock him out in round two.
Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs), known for his defense, told Mason that he doesn’t need to be fighting aggressively in the first two or three rounds because every fighter is dangerous early on. He wants Mason to use his 5’9″ height by staying on the outside instead of putting himself at risk by fighting in close, which is why he was dropped twice by Vasquez.
Mason threw uppercuts and was dropped twice with left hooks from the powerful Vaszuez (26-6, 21 KOs). He put himself at risk by fighting Vasquez in close so he could score a highlight reel knockout, which he ultimately did in the second round.
Shakur Gives Mason Career Advice
Abdullah Mason: “We’re here, and we’re on to the next. We want everybody.”
Shakur Stevenson: “I want to tell you something that will take you were you at to elite,” said Stevenson to Top Rank Boxing in a conversation to Abdullah Mason. “Every fighter in the first round is dangerous. So, with your skills and everything you got, you could keep guys outside from the first, because you can fight outside and inside.
“You fight in both ranges, but for those first three rounds, you still want to be defensively aware and keep guys outside. Then, ‘He’s wearing down a little bit, and now we’re going to step to him and take him out of there.’
“You’re going to take everyone out of there with your skills. Just understand early on, everybody is dangerous. You don’t want to go out there exchanging and giving up your height. Keep the guy at bay. Then, set three, four, or five. Okay, you’re slowing down. I’m about to beat your a**.’ You’re a hell of a fighter, bro.
“You’re going to be one of the greats, I promise you. Just make sure the IQ is there with the skills.”
Why Mason Should NOT Listen To Shakur
The problem with Mason changing his style to become more defensive like Shakur is that it will take a lot of the excitement out of his style, making him just one of the ordinary fighters in the lightweight division rather than standing out like he’s doing now.
To be a star in the modern era of boxing, fighters have got to fight in a brave manner, taking risks of being clipped to get the knockout. If Mason changes his fighting style If Mason fights like Shakur, he’ll be boring to watch and may never become a star. Stevenson is one of the dullest fighters in the sport, and it sounds like he wants to transform Abdullah’s style to be a copy of his boring approach to fights.
DON’T Be Friends With Shakur
It’s a bad idea for Mason to change the way he fights. Moreover, he shouldn’t be friendly with Shakur because he may end up needing to fight him. The last thing fans need to hear is Mason saying he can’t fight Shakur because he’s friends with him. That’s Keyshawn’s argument for not fighting Shakur.
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