Shakur Stevenson is now a free agent having fought his last fight on his Top Rank contract.
The 27-year-old is undoubtedly one of the top talents in all of boxing, but the less than fan-friendly defensive style on display in his last two fights has drawn criticism from the public and raised questions as to whether he can ever be a major pay-per-view draw.
“None of these people are going to perform miracles, he is what he is. He’s got to maximise his abilities, which are great, and make them as lucrative as possible in terms of money.
We offered him, because we feel he’s a top talent, an enormous amount of money – it was going to be six fights at $18 million minimum and he turned that down, which is okay, he’s allowed to. [There was no negotiation] he just left in a huff, but I’m not angry at him because he stayed until the end of his contract and free agency is free agency, when the contract is up he’s entitled to go and look for a better deal and that’s how the system works.”
Stevenson’s team had meetings with both Golden Boy Promotions and Matchroom Boxing, but now Oscar De La Hoya has announced why his company will not be working with the three-weight world champion.
“Shakur Stevenson, you’re a free agent, you’re a great fighter and a great talent, but not for me. I believe that when somebody says you’re not fighting for the public, I cannot promote.”
Unless Stevenson picks and chooses promoters fight by fight, Eddie Hearn and Matchroom are now the frontrunners for his signature.
