By Jeff Aronow: Shakur Stevenson says he doesn’t need to transfer as much as light-weight division as a result of his objective is to remain at tremendous featherweight and unify the division by beating Oscar Valdez and the opposite champions.
If Stevenson desires to develop into a star, he’s NOT going to attain that objective staying at tremendous featherweight, beating the likes of Shavkat Rakhimov, Roger Gutierrez, and Oscar Valdez.
Stevenson might waste years
It’s honest to say that Stevenson will waste years of his profession making an attempt to unify in opposition to the champions at 130 that gained’t do a lot to extend his reputation in the long term.
By the point Stevenson does unify the 130-lb division, he’ll be nearing 30, and he gained’t be a star.
There’s not sufficient incentive for Stevenson, 24, to take a position three to 4 years making an attempt to unify the tremendous featherweight division until there’s some ulterior motive on his half to remain in that weight class.
If Stevenson lacks the self-confidence to compete with the expertise North of 130 at 135, it is sensible for him to remain at tremendous featherweight to keep away from dropping to the proficient fighters at light-weight.
Stevenson gained’t come out forward, staying at 130, spinning his wheels making an attempt to unify in opposition to no-name champions that the informal boxing followers have by no means heard of earlier than.
Take a look at Canelo Alvarez. He’s invested three years of his profession making an attempt to develop into the undisputed champion at 168, preventing little-known weak champions repeatedly and never popping out forward.
The U.S boxing followers care much less about Canelo’s objective of changing into the undisputed champion at tremendous middleweight, they usually’d quite see him combat proficient opposition like David Benavidez. Shakur is falling into the identical entice as Canelo, specializing in unifying a division that gained’t improve his reputation.
Is Shakur Stevenson AFRAID of shifting to 135?
Stevenson’s dogged help at remaining at 130, a division he has virtually no likelihood of unifying. This means that there’s worry on his a part of shifting as much as 135 [lightweight] and risking his unbeaten report in opposition to proficient opposition in opposition to these skills:
- Vasily Lomachenko
- Devin Haney
- Ryan Garcia
- Richard Commey,
- Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis
- Teofimo Lopez
By now, Stevenson (17-0, 9 KOs) should know that he’s not going to rapidly get a unification combat with WBC 130-lb champion Oscar Valdez and sure not the opposite champions within the division. To be particular, Stevenson
“Get him as much as light-weight now as a result of we’ve obtained opposition who’re on the high of the tree themselves,” Nick Peet mentioned to JABS on DAZN.
“Think about Stevenson with the quick arms of Ryan Garcia, think about Stephenson with the technical attributes of a Devin Haley, think about Stevenson with the all-round recreation of Lomachenko has obtained, think about Stevenson, along with his nasty sting and ‘I’m making an attempt to knock you out’ photographs that Teofimo Lopez has additionally obtained.”
“He’s obtained substances of all of them blended collectively in a single massive pot. Let’s get them up there now. And let’s set hearth to not simply the light-weight division, however all of boxing.”
There’s no query that Shakur is best off shifting as much as light-weight the place he could be mixing it up with Lomachenko, Tank Davis, Teofimo, and Haney.
In fact, if Stevenson lacks the braveness to maneuver as much as light-weight, it is sensible for him to remain at 130, taking part in it secure in opposition to the obscure opposition in that weight class.
It’s secure for Stevenson to remain at tremendous featherweight as a result of the opposition is weaker and smaller than at light-weight.
