Shakur Stevenson says he wants to show the fans that he can sit in the picket and beat up his opponents, too, in the title defense of his WBC lightweight belt against Artem Harutyunyan this Saturday, July 6th, at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
(Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)
A Departure from the Norm
It would be a departure for Shakur if he chose to fight in the pocket against Harutyunyan rather than scootering around the ring all night. But Shakur is willing to be stationary when fighting weak punchers or fighters with slow hand speed.
Shakur fights inside the pocket if he feels he has nothing to fear. Unfortunately, most of the good lightweights have power, and Shakur will return to his hit-and-not-get-hit style once he faces one of them after Saturday’s title defense.
Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs) is fighting at home in front of his Newark fans, and he needs to look good against Harutyunyan. It’s not only a homecoming for Stevenson but also the last fight on his contract with Top Rank, and he’ll be a free agent.
Another safety-first performance by Shakur would be a disaster as he enters the free agent market. He believes there will be a stampede of promoters vying for his services, but that might not happen if he looks bad against Harutyunyan.
“I’m going to take him to a level he’s never been on. I’m just going to be myself. I’m going to come out and show my talent and show my levels,” said Shakur Stevenson during today’s final press conference for the defense of his WBC lightweight title against Artem Harutyunyan this Saturday, July 6th, on ESPN.
Appearances Can Be Deceiving
Harutyunyan, 33, wore a business suit at the press conference today. At the same time, Shakur was dressed casually in everyday clothes, looking a little rough compared to something he’d like thrown together. From looking at the two, you’d think that Harutyunyan was the wealthy world champion and Shakur the challenger.
“I think I’m one of the best in the sport of boxing at hit and don’t get hit,” Shakur continued. “There’s a certain way of doing that, and I want to show the fans that all that moving around is something I don’t really have to do. I can sit in the pocket and beat you up, too.”
If Shakur is going to fight inside the pocket, he’d better do it for this fight, or else he will limit the interest other promoters have in signing him.
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