Shakur Stevenson Seeking High-Profile Fights, but Faced with Roadblocks
World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson is eyeing three major fights, but the gifted southpaw doesn’t feel he’s close to any of them. Stevenson, who holds a 21-0 (10 KOs) record, is looking to take on WBA ruler Gervonta “Tank” Davis, WBO titlist Denys Berinchyk, and IBF champion Vasiliy Lomachenko.
The 26-year-old Stevenson is set to face Artem Harutyunyan in what will be the final fight of his existing deal with promoter Top Rank on July 7 at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Amid speculation that Davis and Lomachenko could meet, Stevenson’s co-manager Josh Dubin has defended his fighter’s standing as a significant draw in boxing, taking exception to recent comments made by Top Rank’s Bob Arum.
“If a fighter doesn’t bring to the table eyeballs, people who will pay to see the match, then it’s really tough to make a big match for them,” Arum said.
Dubin strongly disagreed with Arum’s assessment, arguing that Stevenson has consistently been one of the highest-rated fighters on ESPN’s roster and has broken ticket sales records in Newark and Las Vegas. “Shakur has been consistently one of the highest-rated fighters on their roster anytime he fights on ESPN,” Dubin said.
The co-manager believes Stevenson is a bigger draw than Lomachenko, who struggled to fill Madison Square Garden in his last few fights. Dubin also pointed out that Berinchyk, the fighter who recently beat Emanuel Navarrete, has been actively calling out Stevenson on social media, but Top Rank has not pursued that matchup.
Stevenson is eager to secure the high-profile fights he desires, but Dubin believes Top Rank is not doing enough to make those bouts happen, perhaps due to the impending expiration of the fighter’s contract. “They have the ability to help us make these fights, and they’re not doing it,” Dubin said.
Despite Stevenson’s dominant performances, the boxer has faced criticism for his lack of excitement in some of his recent fights. However, Dubin remains adamant that his fighter is a significant draw and deserves the opportunity to take on the biggest names in the sport.
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