It wasn't exactly Alex Rodriguez circa 2001 when it came to the free agency sweepstakes of Shakur Stevenson. But the skilled southpaw who spent his career being promoted by Top Rank has a new home. It was announced late last week that Stevenson had signed on with Matchroom Boxing.
The reigning WBC lightweight champion will face Joe Cordina as part of the Riyadh Season card on October 12 underneath the bout between Dmitry Bivol and Artur Beterbiev.
“I am ready to start this next chapter of my career and it begins on October 12 with Joe Cordina on the stacked Riyadh Season card in Saudi Arabia,” said Stevenson.
Mikey Williams/ Top Rank
It's not clear just how long this pact with Eddie Hearn and his company will last. But now Matchroom finds itself as the promoter of Jaron 'Boots' Ennis, Jesse 'Bam' Rodriguez, and now Stevenson. They initially had some problems establishing a foothold in America, but now they find themselves representing a trio of highly talented and accomplished stateside talent which they can showcase on DAZN.
But the question remains -- and it's one that Top Rank had to contend with -- can they get Stevenson the fights that he and the public want?
There has never been a question about his ability, or even his accomplishments. Stevenson is a three-division champion, and there are some pound-for-pound lists that have his name on them. He is currently the WBC lightweight champion and is now looking to unify.
Mikey Williams/Top Rank
The hope is that he will get William Zepeda in the ring sooner rather than later. But the reality is that 'Camaron' is number one in all four sanctioning bodies, and Golden Boy Promotions may opt for an easier, and perhaps more lucrative option in terms of a title opportunity.
See, that is the problem with Stevenson. He is simply too good and difficult for his own good. Most boxers and their handlers simply aren't keen on facing slick, well-schooled southpaws, unless absolutely necessary. Or they get paid an exorbitant amount. (Calling Turki Alalshikh!!) Otherwise, they get consciously avoided.
But he hasn't helped his own cause, either. In his last two bouts, Stevenson failed to deliver any real entertainment value versus the likes of Edwin De Los Santos and then Artem Harutyunyan. In the aftermath, he fought harder against his critics over social media than he seemed to inside the ring. (Trust me, I felt his wrath!). Sometimes you wish he was as petulant inside the ring as he is outside.
Again, this is not an indictment of his ability, but a realistic look at what really resonates with the public.
Tank' Davis is exciting. Stevenson is effective. Which is why Davis doesn't necessarily need to face him and will still have legions of fans defending him avoiding Stevenson.
Matchroom Boxing
That is the modern day boxing business in a nutshell. But lets make this clear, Stevenson is more than ready and able to face the marquee names in his weight class.
“I’ve made it clear that I want the biggest names and the biggest fights in the sport. Bring on William Zepeda at the top of 2025 and I’m ready for anyone who is brave enough to step in the ring with me. There have been few willing to take on that challenge in recent years," he stated.
But all is not lost for Stevenson. Not only did he find a soft landing spot, Stevenson for the second consecutive bout is matched with someone who is coming off a loss. This has to be an unprecedented occurrence. Not that Cordina is a bad fighter. He is coming off a knockout loss where he relinquished his IBF junior lightweight title back in May. The move up in weight could be very beneficial for him.
Mikey Williams/Top Rank
Yet, you wonder if they couldn't find a middle ground here and find Stevenson a more established 135-pound fighter who was at least victorious in his most recent outing. Much of the reason why Cordina is getting this assignment is because he has a long-standing relationship with Matchroom. Keep this in mind, signing with a promoter means you will most likely be paired up with other boxers from that same stable.
Regardless, the goal for Eddie Hearn is to turn Stevenson into a star. One that resonates beyond Newark.
''This young man should be a global superstar," stated Hearn, ''and I believe with our machine behind him, he will land the big fights and receive all the credit that he deserves."
OCT 12
Here is the rest of the card taking place on October 12th:'
FINAL FLURRIES
Did anyone watch that Mayweather-Gotti exhibition from Mexico? Seems like the novelty of these things has run it's course...Matchroom has announced that next weeks card that featured Dalton Smith against Jon Fernandez has been cancelled. Smith has come up with an injury....Takuma Inoue and Junto Nakatani will defend their bantamweight titles on successive days on October 13 and 14 at Ariake Arena. These cards will be broadcast on ESPN+....How 'bout them Yellow Jackets?....I can be reached at k9kim@yahoo.com....
