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Shakur Stevenson is pleased with his efficiency final Saturday night time, stopping Josh Padley within the ninth spherical in a profitable protection of his WBC light-weight title at The Venue in Riyadh.
Stevenson (23-0, 11 KOs) boasts that he displayed the “art of hit and don’t get hit” in his victory over Padley (15-1, 4 KOs), who was chosen by his promoter, Eddie Hearn, because the substitute for the sick Floyd Schofield.
Tank Combat Nonetheless a Dream
It wasn’t the spectacular efficiency that the 2016 Olympic silver medalist Stevenson wanted to impress the followers or to make a case for him deserving a struggle towards Gervonta Davis subsequent. For that low-level opponent, Shakur wanted a first-round knockout as a result of Padley wasn’t world-class. Stevenson’s reputation didn’t enhance with that efficiency.
It was extra of a step backward for Shakur, who fought like he couldn’t struggle in the next gear. He stood straight up, threw arm punches, and darted away when attacked. It was very timid stuff and never attention-grabbing to look at. Turki Alalshikh ought to have positioned the Shakur-Padley struggle at first of Saturday’s occasion with the Mohammed Alakel vs. Engel Gomez and Ziyad Almaayouf vs. Jonatas Rodrigo Gomes de Oliveira fights.
After the struggle, Shakur and Hearn each referred to as out WBA light-weight champion Tank, wanting him subsequent for a unification struggle. Each claimed {that a} Tank-Stevenson unification is the “Biggest fight in boxing.” They each know clearly that it wasn’t close to a adequate efficiency towards the weakest fighter that may very well be discovered to lure Tank Davis right into a struggle.
A Manufactured Fighter?
If Hearn isn’t prepared to match Shakur towards good fighters for concern he’ll lose, he deserves to be ignored by Tank. If a slick promoter protects a fighter, as we see with Stevenson, they don’t charge sharing the ring. Proper now, Shakur seems to be like a typical manufactured fighter, protected by his promoters with the only real object of getting one large cash struggle after which discarded as nugatory junk after he loses. In different phrases, Stevenson is a faux Milli Vanilli-like creation.
Hearn must match Shakur towards these fighters to indicate that he’s for actual:
Abdullah Mason
Andy Cruz
Ernesto Mercado
Raymond Muratalla
William Zepeda
“It was a tremendous performance. I showed the art of hit and don’t get hit,” mentioned Shakur Stevenson to the media after his ninth-round TKO win over ham and egger Josh Padley final Saturday night time in Riyadh. “I actually didn’t get touched like that, however I put the arms on him.
“Respect Josh Padley for stepping up and doing what a lot of people don’t want to do. A lot of people don’t want to get in the ring with me. So, I appreciate him,” Shakur continued. “The explanation they don’t wish to get within the ring with me is as a result of I perceive ‘hit and don’t get hit.’
“I love it,” mentioned Shakur when requested about his response to being booed by followers. “Josh Padley is six hours away in London. So, he probably has more fans here than me, but I shut them up. They stopped talking, and got quiet and I did what I was supposed to do.”
Many fighters would have been prepared to struggle Shakur, however the cash was by no means there to struggle him. He’s a southpaw with an unpleasant defensive fashion, which entails working. His fights are booed, and there’s by no means been a purpose for any top-level fighter to wish to face that sort of man. If Turki Alalshikh needs to lure Tank Davis with gazillions or one of many different proficient fighters like Andy Cruz, he can do it, however the jig will probably be up for Shakur. He’s not going to beat both of these fighters and can probably look unhealthy in dropping.
