Turki Al-Sheikh’s Vision: Tank Vs. Shakur, But When?

Turki Al-Sheikh says he wants to see a fight between Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis and Shakur Stevenson “one day.” He’s in the same boat as Shakur’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, who has been lobbying for the Tank fight since he signed the Newark native.

Is Shakur a Draw?

Trying to negotiate a fight between Tank and Shakur may prove to be a nightmare for Turki. The fight is still too early to make. Shakur needs to redeem himself after repeated poor performances at 135 against Artem Harutyunyan and Edwin De Los Santos. Fans walked out of those fights due to the lack of entertainment value.

It’s believed the main reason Hearn signed Shakur is for the cash fight against Tank because, other than that, he’s not a PPV draw. He’s only useful to be the opponent for Tank, and the fight, if it ever happens, will be a replay of Shakur’s match against De Los Santos in 2023. That match was loudly booed by fans from the fourth round due to Shakur’s unwillingness to engage.

The basic problem is that Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) has had injury problems with his glass hand and has failed to entertain since moving up to lightweight in 2023. Stevenson can’t generate enough power on his punches to keep his opponents off. Last October, his hand broke down on him, resulting in his fight against Joe Cordina being canceled.

So, he’s become a runner, and his fights are booed by fans who aren’t interested in seeing his outdated 1990s style. It might be better if Shakur moved back down to 130 or 126, where his brittle hands would have less chance of getting injured.

“So you’re giving an invitation to Gervonta Davis?” said Mike Coppinger to ESPN.

“I don’t take anything personally. I am a professional, but I don’t need to like you to talk with you,” said Turki Al-Sheikh.

“But you appreciate Gervonta Davis’ talent, it seems?” said Coppinger.

“As a fighter, he’s a great fighter, of course. There’s no doubt, but we need to see him in big fights more and more,” said Turki. “I hope one day to see Shakur against Tank.”

Shakur is an example of a fighter who is popular more based on the echo effect from fans who love his style than the mass public, who dislike runners and expect fighters to entertain. Stevenson does not entertain. So whatever popularity he has, it’s due to a handful of fans who like to watch his hit-and-run Mayweather-esque style.