Roadblock To Riches: Shakur Stevenson’s Worries About Gervonta Davis’s Upcoming Bout With Lamont Roach

Shakur Stevenson has “worries” about whether or not Gervonta Davis will win his rematch with Lamont Roach on August sixteenth. Stevenson (23-0, 11 KOs) has a self-serving concern: He needs his mega-money struggle towards Tank Davis, which may’t occur if he loses the rematch with Roach. It’ll depart Shakur with restricted choices.

Influence of Tank Upset

Shakur has mentioned a struggle between him and Gervonta is “The largest struggle in boxing.” If Davis loses to Roach, Shakur might want to go in a special route as a result of the Tank struggle will now not have the curiosity it as soon as did. The vultures are already circling Stevenson at 135, viewing him as meals. His brittle arms make him weak prey for the highest fighters.

“I do know that me and Tank is the large struggle, so it worries me in the truth that I don’t get my alternative to struggle him as an undefeated fighter with Lamont Roach in entrance of him,” mentioned Shakur Stevenson to Ring Journal about his nervousness about gervonta Davis doubtlessly shedding to Lamont Roach of their rematch after which by no means getting an opportunity to struggle him. “However we’ll see. Possibly he does go in there and make it a simple struggle.”

Effectively, if Tank Davis loses to Roach of their rematch on August sixteenth, it’s not the tip of the world. It might simply imply that Shakur might need to attend till they struggle a trilogy. A 3rd Davis-Roach struggle may very well be staged in November or December. Within the meantime, Stevenson may struggle one of many prime contenders, like Andy Cruz, Jadier Herrera, Abdullah Mason, or Tevin Farmer. These are all robust fights, but when Shakur is “the most effective fighter in boxing” like he all the time says, he ought to be capable to beat all these guys.

“It’s an ideal struggle. I feel Oscar [De La Hoya] is aware of [William] Zepeda is absolutely up towards it right here, however clearly the numbers made sense for them to roll the cube,” mentioned promoter Eddie Hearn to Combat Hub TV about Golden Boy Promotions feeling it was value it financially to permit the unbeaten William Zepeda to struggle Shakur Stevenson on the July twelfth card.

On paper, that is a neater struggle for Zepeda than his final two contests towards Tevin Farmer. Shakur doesn’t possess the scale, energy, or ruggedness of Farmer. The one factor he does higher than Farmer is transfer, and he moved fairly a bit. If Tevin had moved greater than he did in these two fights, he would have been booed by the followers.

He did sufficient to maintain the followers from letting him find out about it. Farmer is lots braver a fighter than Shakur, and all the time has. Zepeda has much less to fret about towards Shakur than he did in his fights towards the hard-hitting Farmer.

Zepeda is Completely different

“I feel with out the Ring Journal or the Riyadh Season, I don’t suppose this struggle [Shakur vs. Zepeda] would have occurred, if I’m being sincere. However Zepeda is a superb fighter. I feel style-wise, it’s an ideal matchup, particularly for Shakur Stevenson. He’s a man that could be a great counter-puncher. He clearly likes fighters that come towards him. Zepeda is all motion, very aggressive, and throws an enormous quantity of punches. I feel it’s an excellent struggle.”

Shakur and Hearn may stay to remorse making this struggle with William Zepeda as a result of he’s a a lot completely different animal than the most effective guys that he’s fought throughout his eight-year professional profession. The very best guys Stevenson has fought are these fighters:

– Edwin De Los Santos– Artur Harutyunyan– Jamel Herring– Joet Gonzalez– Oscar Valdez– Robson Conceicao

That’s a reasonably gentle bunch whenever you examine them to the younger quantity puncher Zepeda. He’s stronger than these fighters and throws many extra punches. Until Shakur plans to run from him all night time, he’s received a nightmarish struggle forward of him.

“That is the final struggle of our present deal,” mentioned Hearn in regards to the two-fight contract between Matchroom and Stevenson ending together with his struggle towards Zepeda. “So, we’ll be working from now up till the struggle and past to try to maintain him at Matchroom. Clearly, we’ve received an ideal relationship,” mentioned Hearn.

Turki Alalshikh might want to assist out with the struggle towards Gervonta Davis as a result of Hearn isn’t more likely to make investments the cash to fulfill Tank and Shakur’s expectations for this struggle. If the struggle doesn’t get made, it’s going to be fascinating to see who Shakur fights for the rest of his profession at 135. He’s not a sufficiently big puncher to climb the load lessons to 140 and 147.

Stevenson’s Hand Damage Influence

His brittle arms are additionally an issue. For Shakur to struggle towards the top-level fighters, he’s received to have the ability to throw onerous sufficient to make them cautious of attacking him aggressively. He can’t do this if he’s defending his glass arms, and is unable to throw with any energy.

“For those who mentioned to Shakur, ‘Who do you suppose is the most effective promoter on the earth and who would you prefer to be with?’ He would say, ‘Eddie and Matchroom.’ But when we will’t provide you with a deal, that might change in a short time. However we undoubtedly have the connection and the communication to increase that deal, and that’s clearly the plan,” mentioned Hearn.

Whether or not Shakur stays with Matchroom could boil right down to whether or not they can ship him the Tank Davis struggle. Tank and Conor Benn clashes are those that he appears to be most inquisitive about.

Stevenson hasn’t talked about eager to struggle the opposite prime lightweights, Keyshawn Davis, Raymond Muratalla, Andy Cruz, and Abdullah Mason. He’s been very calculated since shifting as much as 135 in 2023, solely pushing for Tank Davis and Vasily Lomachenko. He’s turned down harmful fights towards Jadier Herrera and Ernesto Mercado to struggle Josh Padley. It type of reveals you that Shakur doesn’t need to get crushed earlier than he will get the Tank Davis struggle.