Thursday’s, on this nook of the Universo Pugilistico, are all about my sack– my bulging, bulbous, aching sack– and the gooey, salty reality contained inside. So…sit again, shut your eyes, pull again your hair, and prepare for this week’s cash shot of knowledge. This week we’ve feedback/questions concerning Shakur Stevenson, William Zepeda, and Nate Diaz-Jorge Masvidal.
Shakur Executed Mistaken
Hello Magno.
Shakur Stevenson is gone from Prime Rank and ESPN and I say good. They did Shakur improper with the way in which they’ve been representing him these previous couple of fights as his contract was working out. On Saturday, they actually went all out within the disrespect. Showings followers leaving his battle was classless and petty as fuck. It was disgusting to be sincere.
I do know you already talked about the place Shakur would possibly go in free company, however my query to you is about ESPN and Prime Rank. The place did they drop the ball with Shakur and why couldn’t they do something with him? What a part of the blame goes to Shakur and what half goes to the promoter and community?
By the way in which, I feel he’ll transfer on and get these huge fights he couldn’t get at TR/ESPN and that might present that it was them that dropped the ball, not him.
– Clyde
Hey Clyde.
I’ve seen numerous nastiness on this sport, however they actually did do Shakur improper. That entire night time appeared like one huge hatchet job. Chopping away to indicate the group leaving was brutal. Hell, the ESPN Boxing web site even dropped Shakur one spot on their light-weight rankings, from no. 3 to no. 4, for no different obvious cause than he hadn’t re-signed with Prime Rank. This actually ought to be a serious head’s as much as all of the fighters at present below contract– Should you go away them, they very nicely may lash out and attempt to harm your profession. As you mentioned, petty as fuck. Very unprofessional, too.
As for what went improper? I don’t assume that something, essentially, “went improper” in any respect. As I wrote in a chunk I did at my different writing gig, Shakur’s battle delivered the perfect primary occasion boxing scores on ESPN so far in 2024 and his numbers since changing into a primary occasion participant are nonetheless higher than every other fighter’s on the community in that time frame. So, Shakur was clearly an asset to them. And that’s why Prime Rank reportedly provided him a 5-fight, $15 million deal to re-sign.
However, after all, issues may’ve been higher within the Stevenson-Prime Rank/ESPN partnership.
Shakur was on the precipice of next-level stardom after his dominant, partaking performances in opposition to Jamel Herring and Oscar Valdez, however Prime Rank by no means pulled the set off to get him to that subsequent stage. Yeah, Shakur’s incapability to make 130 anymore stalled his rise a bit, however Prime Rank nearly appeared punitive after that they usually by no means once more tried to match him up in opposition to high-end opposition once more.
And this final matchup, in opposition to Artem Harutyunyan, appeared nearly designed to make him look lower than spectacular. Harutyunyan is a troublesome, stable, however conservative man who doesn’t make many exploitable errors. This battle reeked of dullish comfy unanimous determination from the second it was signed.
Shakur has to take some blame for figuring out the knock on him as a boring fighter, however probably not going outdoors his consolation zone to make fan-friendly efforts. Like many prime boxers, he has a crew of enablers, cheerleaders, and sure males round him that all the time speak him into the concept he’s proper. So, the place’s the drive to vary and possibly make some tweaks to his recreation?
He wants to have interaction extra and never simply take the factors as they make themselves out there.
I can see him touchdown some huge fights as a free agent, however it could nonetheless be a good suggestion to have a higher eye on entertaining. Floyd Mayweather had a giant character and he may promote fights even to followers who thought his ring type was boring. Shakur doesn’t have that very same aptitude. He has to pound some faces and present some flash.
Nate Diaz-Jorge Masvidal
Hello Paul.
I’d wish to get your tackle the Nate Diaz-Jorge Masvidal boxing match and your take typically on celebrities and MMA stars placing on the gloves. Diaz-Masvidal was truly fairly good and the cardboard was first rate as nicely. I discover you by no means even talked about it in your articles.
– John W.
Hey John.
I discussed Diaz-Masvidal on Twitter and mentioned that it was the perfect primary occasion of the night, up in opposition to Stevenson-Harutyunyan and Zepeda-Cabrera.
I’ve no points with superstar boxing or with MMA stars having boxing contests. The extra the merrier. Regardless of what some boxing “purists” appear to assume, these sorts of fights don’t take something away from “actual” boxing and, as a matter of truth, have the potential to create pleasure for boxing in followers who are usually not normally among the many sport’s hardcore following. Diaz-Masvidal was enjoyable and it was aggressive.
Zepeda Being Ducked?
Hey Paul.
It’s an actual disgrace when a fighter like William Zepeda will be no. 1 in all 4 sanctioning our bodies, however nonetheless can’t get a title shot. Should you had been Golden Boy, how would you drive your approach right into a title battle? Camaron deserves it!
– Juan Blancas Soto
Hey Juan.
Competitively and when it comes to problem in making the battle, WBO champ Denis Berinchyk is clearly the simplest path to take. The issue is that if Zepeda fights and beats Berinchyk, his standing as WBO titlist will make it a lot simpler for the opposite titlists to not battle him. It’s nearly to his profit to stay no. 1 contender proper now. As I discussed final week, although, I wouldn’t be stunned if one of many sanctioning our bodies wasn’t sizing Zepeda up for an “interim” or “common” title as we communicate.
Bought a query (or hate mail) for Magno’s Bulging Mail Sack? One of the best of the perfect will get included within the weekly mailbag section proper right here at FightHype. Ship your stuff right here: paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com.
