By Chris Williams: Newly topped WBO tremendous featherweight champion Shakur Stevenson (17-0, 9 KOs) is concentrating on a future big-money battle towards Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis following his tenth spherical knockout victory over 130-lb champion Jamel ‘Semper Fi’ Herring (23-3, 11 KOs) final Saturday evening on the State Farm Enviornment in Atlanta.
Stevenson desires to battle 5 of the six lightweights within the division above him in Tank Davis, Teofimo Lopez, Devin Haney, Joseph ‘Jojo’ Diaz Jr., and Ryan Garcia.
Shakur not mentioning Lomachenko’s identify
Apparently, Shakur leaves out Vasily Lomachenko’s identify when speaking concerning the fighters he desires to face at 135, though Loma is with the identical promotional firm as him in Prime Rank.
It’s apparent why Stevenson isn’t mentioning Lomachenko. Even now, Shakur is astutely conscious of his limitations as a fighter in order that Lomachenko will probably be handled because the equal of the harmful third rail in a subway.
If Stevenson touches that third rail in a battle with Lomachenko, he might get jolted into actuality. Please don’t maintain your breath ready for Stevenson to abruptly begin displaying curiosity in going through Lomachenko except he will get outdated.
“I believe all of these guys are actually good, Devin Haney, Teofimo Lopez, Gervonta Davis, Jojo Diaz, Ryan Garcia, and there’s going to be huge fights between all of us,” stated Shakur Stevenson about future fights for him after his win over Herring. “However I really feel like me and Tank down the road will probably be an incredible battle.”
A battle between Shakur and Gervonta possible received’t occur for a few years, and even then, it’s questionable. Stevenson might want to transfer as much as 140 on the very least for him to battle Tank (25-0, 24 KOs), and it’ll come right down to the negotiations.
Shakur confirmed extra offense
“This was precisely what Shakur Stevenson wanted to point out the world that the expertise has all the time been there,” stated Chris Algieri to Fight Hub TV on Stevenson’s win over Herring. “I don’t assume we’ve ever seen him step up.
“I stated this after his final battle. We had been speaking concerning the [Jeremia], and I stated, ‘Throw him in an enormous battle as a result of he’s going to do the identical factor’ as a result of he’s going to dominate and he’s going to regulate.
“We noticed extra offense from him [Shakur] tonight, which was actually, actually spectacular towards his finest opponent so far. The children, for actual.
“I believe it was the most effective that we’ve seen thus far, however I don’t assume it was the most effective but,” stated Algieri when requested if Jamel Herring introduced the most effective out of Shakur Stevenson.
“I nonetheless assume there are issues that he [Shakur] hasn’t proven. “That’s onerous to inform as a result of followers are humorous,” Algieri states when requested if Stevenson will promote tickets for future fights after his efficiency towards Herring.
“You actually don’t know what sells on a regular basis, and it’s not simply nice performances—plenty of instances, its consistency and persona and issues like that.
“So we don’t actually know, however I wasn’t very onerous on Shakur’s final battle [Jeremia Nakathilia]. He received each spherical, each second, and he had a tricky man.
“He stated he didn’t like his efficiency, and I perceive that. You must really feel sure methods, however he silenced all of the critics tonight,” stated Algieri.
Shakur nonetheless has a lot to show
It’s going to take greater than a win over 35-year-old Jamel Herring to persuade the boxing public that Stevenson has improved his recreation.
Herring appeared nearer to 45 than 35 in a bodily look final Saturday evening. His energy was nowhere close to the extent of the highest guys like Oscar Valdez, Tank Davis, Ryan Garcia, or Teofimo Lopez.
Chronologically, Herring is 35-years-old, however he seems a lot older than that, seemingly in his 40s.
For that cause, you may’t get all that enthusiastic about Stevenson beating an outdated man with no punch who occurs to be promoted by the identical Prime Rank firm that he’s.
This was an in-house battle final evening, and it wasn’t a case of Shakur taking up the BEST at 130, and never somebody on the extent of Vasily Lomachenko, Tank Davis, Devin Haney, Teofimo, or Ryan Garcia.
You possibly can argue that Herring was a step down from Stevenson’s final opponent Jeremia Nakathilia, a murderous puncher, and Shakur was utilizing his ugly ‘pull-back’ model of combating your entire contest after getting a style of Namibian’s energy early within the battle.
Stevenson = subsequent Floyd Mayweather Jr?
“It was his hand-eye coordination, his choose of vary, and his punch choice,” stated Algieri when requested what he likes about Stevenson’s efficiency towards Herring.
“He was so exact. Jamel has nice protection. Most fighters can not hit him, and Jamel couldn’t defend himself towards the mix punching of Shakur tonight.
“Was it too early when Floyd [Mayweather Jr.] stated he was going to do it? I imply, you by no means know,” Algieri stated on being requested if Shakur’s efficiency exhibits that he’s the following Mayweather. “That’s a part of the story.”
Chris Williams doesn’t see Shakur as being something like Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the kind of expertise he possessed at an identical age.
You possibly can argue that Stevenson is a poor man’s model of Mayweather, however nowhere close to the fighter, he was when he was 24.
A greater comparability could be somebody like Pernell Whitaker or David Reid. I don’t see Shakur being on the identical galaxy talent-wise as Mayweather except we’re speaking about him in his 40s.
The actual query is, can Shakur Stevenson grow to be fashionable like Mayweather was and make the identical type of dough as he did.
Sadly, I don’t assume that’s going to occur except Stevenson strikes as much as 147, and it’s uncertain that his physique can pack on one other 17 kilos with out him shedding his pace.
Should you threw Stevenson within the ring with Terence Crawford, Jaron Ennis, or Vergil Ortiz Jr last evening, he would have been butchered by all of them.
