Whether or not it is justified or not in boxing’s arbitrary courtroom of public opinion, Shakur Stevenson enters the ultimate bout of his Prime Rank deal on Saturday with out the identical fanfare and hype he so not too long ago held. 

Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs) returns to his hometown of Newark, New Jersey, to defend his WBC light-weight title towards Artem Harutyunyan (12-1, 7 KOs) contained in the Prudential Middle. However in case you are solely nearly as good in boxing as your final efficiency, followers and specialists alike can not seem to forgive the proficient southpaw for the outcomes of his most up-to-date efficiency. 

It isn’t sufficient that the 27-year-old Stevenson, who captured the silver medal on the 2016 Olympics, has gained titles in three divisions whereas cementing himself among the many pound-for-pound finest within the sport. When Stevenson was propped up final November by Prime Rank and ESPN to headline an vital combat card throughout the identical week as System 1’s long-awaited debut on the Las Vegas strip, he didn’t ship on any of the expectations for pleasure or leisure. 

Competing in a vacant title bout after former undisputed 135-pound champion Devin Haney moved up in weight, Stevenson entered with an undisclosed hand harm and proceeded to cautiously field circles across the hard-hitting Edwin De Los Santos in a masterclass that noticed him set a CompuBox divisional document for fewest punches landed by his opponent.   

It was simply cripplingly boring to observe and the outcome got here at a poor time for Stevenson, who had talked plenty of trash heading in about his plans to knock out De Los Santos whereas trying to set up himself on the identical degree because the big-name contemporaries in and round his weight division, together with the likes of Gervonta “Tank” Davis, Ryan Garcia, Haney, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Teofimo Lopez Jr. 

“Boxing turned on me however, on the finish of the day, I am a one-man military so I ain’t tripping,” Stevenson informed CBS Sports activities final week. “I will go towards the world and what will occur? They don’t seem to be going to have the ability to cease me.”

Stevenson, who has been listed as astronomically excessive as a -3500 betting favourite, is anticipated to mop up on Harutyunyan, a shifty defensive fighter who in some way acquired this title shot regardless of coming immediately off of a loss he suffered towards Frank Martin final July. It was a combat, paradoxically, the place the 33-year-old Harutyunyan, a local of Armenia who fights out of Germany, was closely criticized for avoiding exchanges, just like Stevenson. 

“It is an excellent alternative. I had an excellent coaching camp, and I am nicely ready. I am prepared for this combat,” Harutyunyan stated on the last press convention. “I do know Shakur Stevenson is an effective fighter. He’s a world champion. We each fought on the Olympic video games. He’s a silver medalist, and I am a bronze medalist. Now we’re preventing for the world championship.”

But, there’s a lot at stake for Stevenson when it comes to the way forward for his profession that it is considerably simple to counsel he shall be further motivated to push the tempo and go for the end contemplating free company is true across the nook.   

“Something is feasible,” Stevenson stated. “It is a enterprise, on the finish of the day. If enterprise is sensible, [would I re-sign with Top Rank]? Sure. However I do know my price. If I’m re-signing with Prime Rank, my price shall be on full show within the contracts.”

Though he is named extra of a slick and technical boxer, Stevenson has really been way more offensive of late than his efficiency towards De Los Santos suggests. In actual fact, final April, Stevenson went out of his option to stroll down and end Shuichiro Yoshino after the Japanese fighter chastised his punching energy publicly. That efficiency got here immediately after a pair of 130-pound title wins over Oscar Valdez and Robson Conceicao, each of which showcased all the things that makes Stevenson so nice. 

So, the query turns into whether or not any of the criticism lobbed at Stevenson is warranted or whether or not folks had been simply overreacting about an injury-plagued unhealthy night time on the workplace?  

“I feel it is positively unfair that I’ve such an unfair customary simply due to how good I’m,” Stevenson stated. “Folks do not understand the way in which that they discuss, they’re simply telling me how good I’m due to this unfair customary. I might look nice 4-5 instances out however then you may have one off night time the place the usual is so excessive, folks suppose that is who I’m. And on my off night time, I used to be preventing with only one hand. 

“What do not break you make you stronger and I really feel like they’ve been serving to me up my recreation and step up in coaching to work more durable. I admire all the unfavorable feedback. I admire all the individuals who doubt me and do not consider in me. I’ll wake everyone up once I get my alternative.”

For the document, Stevenson guarantees to stroll down and “beat up” Harutyunyan in a showcase of why he is at a unique degree. But it surely’s fascinating to consider the concept of whether or not Stevenson not trying spectacular final trip may really assist him land large fights shifting ahead. 

Given Stevenson’s uncertainty as as to if he’ll re-sign with Prime Rank, the promotion seems extra suited to match Lomachenko with Davis quite than Stevenson, which Corridor of Fame chairman Bob Arum has publicly acknowledged is his objective for the autumn. However Davis had beforehand not spoken about Stevenson a lot till his final combat the place all of the sudden all Crew Davis can speak about is how keen they’re to combat him and the way simple they anticipate the inevitable knockout to be. 

The change in tone from Davis is one thing Stevenson has seen. However one factor he will not go so far as saying is that he is auditioning this weekend for a shot at leaping the queue within the “Tank” sweepstakes. 

“Truthfully, no, I am not auditioning as a result of if I used to be auditioning, I might go in there and make the combat actual arduous,” Stevenson stated. “I might make it the toughest combat of my life and I do know for a proven fact that different folks would need to combat me. I am not auditioning for shit, I am simply going on the market to be myself and when the chance comes, I will be prepared. I am the most effective fighters on the earth and I actually consider in my abilities and who I’m as an individual. I am not auditioning, I am good.”

However in case you ask Stevenson which combat, among the many many large names doubtlessly accessible to him, that he desires most, he did not hesitate to reply.

“It is ‘Tank,’ it is ‘Tank,'” Stevenson stated “That is the man who everyone says might beat me. That is the man who everybody says I haven’t got an opportunity towards. It is ‘Tank.'”

The undercard options some high prospects trying to construct their careers, presumably right into a future showdown with Stevenson. O’Shaquie Foster is about to defend his WBC junior light-weight title towards veteran Robson Conecao within the co-feature. And Keyshawn Davis is about for an additional function alternative towards Miquel Madueno. 

“It is at all times particular sharing a card with my brother Shakur,” Davis stated. “We have been doing this since we had been children. We have been speaking about this since we had been amateurs. Brick Metropolis loves me. It is my third time coming right here, so I anticipate the followers to embrace me once more as I make that ring entrance.
 
“I simply have to do the identical factor I have been doing. I simply have to go on the market, have enjoyable and carry out. He has a mode that I’ve seen so many instances, particularly within the amateurs. While you journey abroad, you combat plenty of guys like that. Now that we’re going 10 rounds, I can take my time and dissect this child. I’ll go in there and have enjoyable and do what I do.”

Let’s take a more in-depth have a look at the whole combat card with the most recent odds earlier than attending to a prediction and knowledgeable choose on the primary occasion.

Combat card, odds

• Shakur Stevenson (c) -3500 vs. Artem Harutyunyan +1350, WBC light-weight title
• O’Shaquie Foster (c) -235 vs. Robson Conceição +190, WBC junior light-weight title
• Keyshawn Davis -2800 vs. Miguel Madueño +1200, lightweights
• Abdullah Mason -4000 vs. Luis Lebron +1450, lightweights

Viewing data

• Date: July 6 | Location: Prudential Middle — Newark, New Jersey
• Begin time: 8:30 p.m. ET
• watch: ESPN

Prediction

When he is wholesome and dialed in, Stevenson is among the many hardest shifting targets in all the sport to pin down and harm, not to mention look good towards. And the truth that he can function inside punching distance with out paying the worth speaks to how next-level his potential actually is. 

From the standpoint of a possible upset, Harutyunyan is solely not on Stevenson’s degree. The query turns into will Stevenson make it a precedence to stroll him down and end him, whereas trying to restore his picture within the public eye. 

Given his future as a free agent, there appears to be sufficient motivation for Stevenson to just do that. 

Decide: Stevenson by way of TKO7