Thursday’s, on this nook of the Universo Pugilistico, are all about my sack– my bulging, bulbous, aching sack– and the gooey, salty fact 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 relating to Shakur Stevenson, William Zepeda, and Nate Diaz-Jorge Masvidal.
Shakur Completed Flawed
Hello Magno.
Shakur Stevenson is gone from High Rank and ESPN and I say good. They did Shakur incorrect with the best way they’ve been representing him these previous few 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 trustworthy.
I do know you already talked about the place Shakur may go in free company, however my query to you is about ESPN and High 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 best way, I believe he’ll transfer on and get these large fights he couldn’t get at TR/ESPN and that will present that it was them that dropped the ball, not him.
– Clyde
Hey Clyde.
I’ve seen plenty of nastiness on this sport, however they actually did do Shakur incorrect. That complete night time seemed like one large hatchet job. Slicing 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 motive than he hadn’t re-signed with High Rank. This actually ought to be a serious head’s as much as all of the fighters presently beneath contract– In case you go away them, they very nicely might lash out and attempt to damage your profession. As you mentioned, petty as fuck. Very unprofessional, too.
As for what went incorrect? I don’t suppose that something, essentially, “went incorrect” in any respect. As I wrote in a chunk I did at my different writing gig, Shakur’s battle delivered the most effective principal occasion boxing scores on ESPN so far in 2024 and his numbers since changing into a principal occasion participant are nonetheless higher than another fighter’s on the community in that time frame. So, Shakur was clearly an asset to them. And that’s why High Rank reportedly supplied him a 5-fight, $15 million deal to re-sign.
However, in fact, issues might’ve been higher within the Stevenson-High 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 High Rank by no means pulled the set off to get him to that subsequent degree. Yeah, Shakur’s incapability to make 130 anymore stalled his rise a bit, however High Rank virtually 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 virtually designed to make him look lower than spectacular. Harutyunyan is a tricky, stable, however conservative man who doesn’t make many exploitable errors. This battle reeked of dullish comfy unanimous choice from the second it was signed.
Shakur has to take some blame for figuring out the knock on him as a boring fighter, however not likely going outdoors his consolation zone to make fan-friendly efforts. Like many high 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 perhaps make some tweaks to his sport?
He wants to interact extra and never simply take the factors as they make themselves out there.
I can see him touchdown some large fights as a free agent, however it could nonetheless be a good suggestion to have a larger eye on entertaining. Floyd Mayweather had a giant character and he might 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 prefer to get your tackle the Nate Diaz-Jorge Masvidal boxing match and your take generally 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 most effective principal 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 suppose, these sorts of fights don’t take something away from “actual” boxing and, as a matter of reality, have the potential to create pleasure for boxing in followers who aren’t 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. In case you had been Golden Boy, how would you drive your manner right into a title battle? Camaron deserves it!
– Juan Blancas Soto
Hey Juan.
Competitively and when it comes to issue in making the battle, WBO champ Denis Berinchyk is clearly the best 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 virtually 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.
Acquired a query (or hate mail) for Magno’s Bulging Mail Sack? The perfect of the most effective will get included within the weekly mailbag section proper right here at FightHype. Ship your stuff right here: paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com.
