This Saturday, undefeated rising star Shakur Stevenson will return to his native Newark, N.J., to defend his WBC lightweight world title against Artem Harutyunyan (12-1, 7 KOs) at the Prudential Center.
The 12-round bout headlines a Top Rank on ESPN card. However, an even bigger battle looms – the battle to secure rights to Stevenson’s future fights. The three-division world champion, perhaps the sport’s finest pure boxer, will complete his deal with Top Rank on Saturday as he participates in the final fight of his contract with them.
Entering his prime at 27 and with a plethora of potential big fights likely in his future, there will be no shortage of promotional companies and platforms eager to join forces with Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs). The question is: who has the best shot at securing his services?
Making money with Matchroom
Matchroom Boxing chairman Eddie Hearn has made little secret of his desire to sign Stevenson. “I think Shakur is pound-for-pound, one of the best fighters in the world,” he told FightHub TV. “He maybe unbeatable – maybe. He is that good. But I think he’s been promoted terribly. I think he’s a great fighter. I think he would be an incredible addition to the Matchroom team, and if he’s available, we will definitely be having a conversation. Whether it works for both of us, we have to see.”
The last sentence is key. Hearn will likely have to meet a high guarantee for Stevenson’s purses going forward. And in order to get a return on his investment, he must produce a big fight for the slick southpaw. This may prove an issue in a fragmented sport compounded by the various promotional outfits patrolling the 135 and 140-pound weight classes. Nevertheless, Hearn’s strong words suggest the UK-based company will make an aggressive effort.
America first with Premier Boxing Champions
Stevenson and Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) seem like a natural fit. The talented American lightweight is on the verge of stardom, and PBC consistently produces the biggest boxing events in the US. Not to mention the allure of a fight versus the unbeaten WBA 135-pound champion and boxing superstar Gervonta “Tank” Davis.
Davis says Stevenson will be one of his opponents in the new long-term deal he’s signed with PBC. Stevenson is unconvinced. “I don’t know when I’m in that deal,” he told FightHype. “You don’t know what fight that is. Say I make my decision based off what he just said. In his six or seven fights, I could be six on that list.” Still, the Davis fight is the biggest for Stevenson. Plus, potential bouts at PBC versus Isaac Cruz, Frank Martin and Alberto Puello are all enticing.
Riyadh Season in Jersey
Turki Alalshikh, chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, is making serious inroads in boxing. Alalshikh’s first US show is August 3. The card will be headlined by TIsrail Madrimov-Terence “Bud” Crawford. Crawford, by the way, is as close to Stevenson as plugs are to sockets. Stevenson could follow in his friend’s footsteps and align with Alalshikh. It’s a win-win for both sides as the fighter is able to get the nature of guarantees he desires, and Alalshikh will get a young fighter with crossover potential – a sound move if his proposed boxing league comes to fruition.
Stevenson remains coy. “I wish Bud and everybody the best with that situation,” he told FightHype. “I don’t know nothing about it so I really can’t speak on it… I wouldn’t mind being in some shit like [the boxing league] if it makes sense.”
Back to the future with Top Rank
The relationship between Top Rank and Stevenson has become frosty. In an interview with Cigar Talk last month, Bob Arum had this to say regarding Stevenson: “I spoke to Eddie Hearn… and Eddie said ‘I ain’t gonna pay him the money you guys pay him’. And I don’t think [Premier Boxing Champions Founder] Al Haymon is looking to add any more fighters… so Shakur is between a rock and a hard place… if there’s nothing better, he’s going to come back to us.”
Arum also implied that Stevenson’s inability to land the big fights was due to him not being a “big draw”. These words won’t exactly make Stevenson want to run back into Arum’s arms, but they don’t call boxing “the theater of the unexpected” for nothing.
While these platforms are the most likely to land Stevenson, Mayweather Promotions could prove the wildcard. Floyd Mayweather did his best to try to sign Stevenson after the latter won silver at the 2016 Olympics. Don’t be surprised if he tries again. Of course, Stevenson’s performance on Saturday night might also be a factor. Often criticized for his business-minded approach in the ring, Stevenson is promising to be more aggressive against Harutyunyan. That just might raise the stakes on what will probably be a major bidding war – presuming, of course, he’s willing to sign another promotional deal.