Bob Arum is still one of the biggest players in boxing despite now being in his nineties, and he has a keen eye for special talent.
Having promoted true greats of the sport and guided his Top Rank banner to a position of extreme significance, Arum may be one of the most knowledgeable businessmen in boxing.
With that experience behind him, to pick out a fighter special enough to go undefeated in his career is the ultimate compliment, and Arum believes Shakur Stevenson can do just that.
He told FightHub TV how impressed he was by the undefeated fighter.
“Shakur is a prodigy. I think he’s an unbelievable fighter. A great, great talent.
I gotta be honest with you, I don’t think anybody ever beats Shakur.”
At 26 Stevenson is a three-weight world champion after an amateur campaign that saw him win Golds at the Youth World Championships and Youth Olympic Games as well as a Silver the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.
Regarded as one of the slickest defensive active boxers, the Newark native makes a point of not taking unnecessary punishment in the ring. Exemplary timing and an impressive lead hand make him easy to watch for hardcore fans, however his last bout against Edwin De Los Santos was criticised for being underwhelming. Stevenson would later defend the performance by saying he had carried an injury into the ring.
Now WBC Champion in the lightweight ranks, Shakur will look to unify the belts by fighting either Vasily Lomachenko or Gervonta Davis should he come through a defense against Artem Harutyunyan in July.
This next bout will be his final in the current Top Rank contract with Arum, and the young fighter has made it clear he will hear offers from other promoters.
