Tim Smith: Why Shakur Stevenson ‘gets a bum rap’

Shakur Stevenson deserves more love than he’s receiving, says Tim Smith, the longtime boxing writer who has since worked for many years as the vice president of communications at Haymon Sports.

(Al Haymon, a longtime boxing adviser, is the founder of Premier Boxing Champions.)

“I think Stevenson gets a bum rap,” Smith said recently, speaking to Kurt Emhoff on the Boxing Esq. Podcast. “I’m not saying the detractors are wrong, but I think that people have just forgotten stylistically what boxing is about. The essence of boxing is to hit and not be hit.”

Stevenson received significant criticism for his performance against Edwin de los Santos last November, even though the three-division titleholder was fighting through an injury. Stevenson’s last fight, a win over Artem Harutyunyan, also brought a lot of jeers.

“People didn’t like Pernell Whitaker. I think Pernell Whitaker. would get booed now if he were fighting in this era,” Smith said. “And I am not comparing Stevenson to Pernell Whitaker by any means. I think there’s a certain brilliance to Stevenson. I think there’s a lack of appreciation for what he does in the ring. And maybe he doesn’t do it with flair. Maybe that’s hurting him. I actually like him. I like the way he fights. I actually have an appreciation for what he does. People call him boring. I don’t think that every fight’s got to be Gatti-Ward. I might be in the minority on that. I probably am.”

Stevenson is now a free agent, choosing not to re-sign with Top Rank. There’s been plenty of talk on social media about what could come next, whether it’s defending his WBC belt against mandatory challenger William Zepeda or perhaps facing Gervonta “Tank” Davis, who is in need of an opponent now that negotiations with Vasiliy Lomachenko fell through due to Lomachenko saying he wanted time off.

“I wish Shakur Stevenson all the best in whatever he’s going to do moving forward,” Smith said. “If he’s been ordered to fight Zepeda, then that’s what he’s got to do if he wants to hold on to his titles and stuff.”

Smith wasn’t asked on the podcast about whether PBC is interested in signing Stevenson.

Follow David Greisman on Twitter @FightingWords2. His book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.