Three-weight world champion Shakur Stevenson is, by the numbers, one of the most defensively skilled boxers in the game.
With a fantastic lead hand and the ability to skirt just out of range of any shots coming back, Stevenson has rarely looked troubled in the ring whilst making his way through the
Stevenson’s last two bouts have been followed by criticism from analysts as being less than entertaining, his defense-first style defined by the hit and don’t get hit mantra wins titles but not necessarily more fans.
Former world champion Shawn Porter believes he will rise as his competition does, and told Fight Hub TV that Gervonta Davis was the perfect opponent to make that happen.
“The fight needs to happen. I know they’re gonna say that Shakur is boring. It’s all about the dance partner as well. I thought he had a good dance partner in the last one. I know he still held his hands a little more than people would like him to but he’s a counterpuncher, people just don’t understand that from his game … Shakur is the real deal and I think Tank is the perfect fight for him to pull out even more of what he can do.”
The fight was seemingly close recently, at least the path to make it happen was clear. Stevenson – now a free agent after a deal with Top Rank came to its conclusion – was looking for a fight and ‘Tank’s early negotiations with Vasiliy Lomachenko fell apart.
Despite the circumstances, both men have said that a fight being targeted for November is false, and Shakur has since been mentioned with number one contender William Zepeda.
Davis, meanwhile, may look to rematch Isaac ‘Pitbull’ Cruz if he comes through his latest defence against Jose Valenzuela. The rematch is justified given Cruz is just one of two men to take the Baltimore puncher the distance in a 30-fight campaign.
