Shakur Stevenson is airing his dirty laundry on social media, complaining that he can’t “trust nobody” in the business. Stevenson says the business is “shiesty,” suggesting he’s having problems with one of the higher-ups.
Fans suspect that the WBC lightweight champion Shakur already has issues with his new promoter, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom. Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) was supposed to headline the undercard for the October 12th fight against Joe Cordina in Riyadh on PPV, but he canceled the fight after injuring his right hand.
Shakur was supposed to be getting millions for the title defense against the recently knocked-out Cordina on October 12th, but the injury messed up the plans.
In an interview, Hearn said that the plan now is for Shakur, 27, to fight William Zepeda after he recovers from hand surgery in early 2025 and then face Gervonta Davis. Those two fights would work best for Hearn because he signed Shakur to a two-fight contract.
If Stevenson is beaten by one or both fighters, he would be out of Hearn’s hair and wouldn’t have to worry about rebuilding him like he would if he were signed to a lengthy, long-term deal with Matchroom.
Shiesty business can’t trust nobody 🎯
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) September 13, 2024
It costs money to rebuild a fighter by feeding them soft opposition. If Shakur were one of the PPV darlings like Anthony Joshua, it wouldn’t be a big deal to put him on a four-fight rebuild schedule, as Hearn has done with AJ. Unfortunately, that’s not the reality. Shakur isn’t a PPV attraction nor a big ticket seller, even in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey.
Hearn wouldn’t need to worry about that because of the short two-fight contract he signed Shakur to. It was a smart move by Hearn, and it’s understandable, given the likelihood of Shakur getting destroyed by Zepeda or Tank Davis in 2025.
Shakur’s hand injury jeopardizes his career because he’s already had issues with his hands, and he’s not looked good since moving up to 135, dealing with the more powerful fighters in this weight class. He got away with being a light-hitter at 126 and 130, but he’s underequipped for the 135-lb division. Shakur is going into battle against opposition armed to the teeth with just a pop gun, and he’s doomed.
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