Shakur Stevenson, WBC light-weight champion, says he needs a unification battle in opposition to IBF champ Vasily Lomachenko subsequent. He says he thinks Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) is petrified of preventing him, and he’ll use nicknames for him by calling him “duck-chenko.”
Lomachenko is in negotiations with Gervonta Davis now, and that’s an enormous battle. There’s no cash in Loma preventing Shakur, who’s coming off a career-worst efficiency in opposition to Edwin De Los Santos on November sixteenth final 12 months.
Shakur’s Taunts a Determined Plea for Recognition?
Shakur (21-0, 10 KOs) is bored with being averted by high fighters, so he taunts them to disgrace them into going through him.
It’s questionable whether or not it is going to work for Shakur, 27, as a result of he’s not standard, and there’s no cash in a battle in opposition to him to lure Lomachenko, Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, or Teofimo Lopez.
“Lomachenko seemed good [against George Kambosos], however I nonetheless assume he’s scared to battle me. Cease being scared, Lomachenko. I’m going to name you duck-Chenko or scary-Chenko till you battle me, champ,” mentioned Shakur Stevenson to the media about eager to battle IBF light-weight champion Vasily Lomachenko in a unification. “I don’t desire a nickname. I desire a nickname after I whoop his a**.”
At this level in 36-year-old Lomachenko’s profession, he’s specializing in getting the best-paying fights in opposition to entertaining fighters. Preventing Shakur wouldn’t make sense for Lomachenko now, and it could possibly be a nasty one if the group booed the shortage of motion.
Lomachenko would attempt to make it entertaining, however he’ll not be capable of chase Shakur down if he strikes as a lot as he did in opposition to De Los Santos and a number of other of the hardest fights of his profession. Shakur strikes rather a lot in opposition to fighters with energy and expertise.
“We obtained to get anyone to signal on the dotted line. If I can choose, it’s Lomachenko, or in the event that they [Gervonta Davis and Loma] go battle one another, I say [William] Zepeda. Why does Zepeda hold saying my identify and clout-chasing however then received’t battle me? I don’t assume he ought to get a cross for that both,” mentioned Shakur
Transferring Up in Weight or Settling for Lesser Opponents
The one means that Shakur can get the highest fighters to signal is that if his promoter overpays them by big quantities. That might have to be Shakur’s subsequent promoter, who could be keen to lose cash on his fights. It won’t be doable.
Promoters don’t like dropping cash, so Shakur could must accept persevering with to face no-name opposition.
One fast repair could be for Shakur to maneuver up two weight courses to 147, the place he’ll have fighters like Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Brian Norman Jr. who could be fascinated with preventing him. These guys hit so laborious that he’ll be damaged aside even when Shakur is as defensive as he was in opposition to De Los Santos.
Shakur’s Concentrate on “Hit and Don’t Get Hit” Worrisome
“That might be placing stress on myself,” mentioned Shakur when requested if he feels he has to carry out properly on Saturday evening in opposition to Artem Harutyunyan to be provided a very good contract with one other promoter.
“I’m conserving stress off myself. My essential focus goes in there, having enjoyable, having a very good time, placing on the kind of present that I wish to placed on, and exhibiting the artwork of boxing. That’s what my essential focus is. Hit and don’t get hit. That’s what I wish to do come Saturday evening,” mentioned Shakur.
The above remark by Stevenson exhibits that perspective hasn’t modified about specializing in his “hit-and-don’t-get-hit’ model, and that’s dangerous information for the promoter that indicators him. It seems Shakur is resistant to vary and can stubbornly stick along with his present preventing model till the top of his profession.
