Oscar De La Hoya’s Grand Plan for Shakur Stevenson: Building Another Mayweather?
Shakur Stevenson, despite recent criticisms over his fighting style, finds himself at the center of a bidding war among boxing’s top promoters. After lackluster performances against Artem Harutyunyan and Edwin De Los Santos, the two-division champion is contemplating his next career move as offers pour in from industry giants like Floyd Mayweather, Eddie Hearn, and notably, Oscar De La Hoya.
Stevenson’s Crossroads
Following his departure from Top Rank, rejecting a substantial $15 million offer due to perceived lack of star-studded oppositions, Stevenson is evaluating his options. Amidst growing discontent among fans, particularly after being booed in Newark, Stevenson faces a pivotal decision: embrace a new promotional strategy or risk stagnation in his career.
“Shakur needs good partners,” De La Hoya started off by saying to FightHub TV and then compared his boxing prowess to that of Mayweather. “You know Shakur reminds me of a Mayweather,” he said.
De La Hoya’s Vision
Oscar De La Hoya, founder of Golden Boy Promotions, has publicly articulated his vision to transform Stevenson into boxing’s next Mayweather-esque figure. Drawing parallels to his successful tenure promoting Floyd Mayweather, De La Hoya highlights his strategy of meticulously selecting opponents to elevate Stevenson’s profile. “Shakur reminds me of Mayweather,” De La Hoya remarked, underscoring his commitment to providing Stevenson with the platform and opposition necessary to ascend to superstardom.
“When I promoted Mayweather for fifteen fights, I had every single opponent for him. All the opponents that Golden Boy had, we fed him to Mayweather. And Mayweather became Mayweather. So, I think Shakur is in a similar situation. If we have the right opponent, we can build another Mayweather.”
The Mayweather Legacy
Reflecting on Mayweather’s illustrious career under Golden Boy Promotions, which saw him face marquee opponents like Marcos Maidana and Canelo Alvarez, De La Hoya envisions a similar trajectory for Stevenson. Their association, while historically fruitful, also reveals the complexities and successes of promoting one of boxing’s all-time greats.
“Shakur Stevenson is one of the most talked about fighters in the world. I know I can make him a star; that’s easy for me. I’ve got the dates, I’ve got the platform, I’ve got the megaphone. Let’s do it,” Hearn said in one of his media interviews. Moreover, he will be rolling out the red carpet for Stevenson as Jaron ‘Ennis’ Boot makes his Matchroom boxing debut at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. With Shakur’s presence at the fight confirmed, he doubled down on the sweet talk. “I can’t praise him highly enough. He’s pound-for-pound quality,” Hearn proclaimed.
Promotional Tug-of-War
While De La Hoya pitches his strategic prowess, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing presents an equally compelling case. Hearn, known for his adept promotion of fighters like Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, promises Stevenson a platform ripe for stardom. With plans to showcase Stevenson alongside Ennis at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, Hearn emphasizes his ability to elevate Stevenson’s status through strategic matchmaking and co-promotional efforts.
“William Zepeda, maybe a move to 140 to fight a Liam Paro or another champion at 140. And then look to other companies to do a co-promotional deal and a co-platform deal,” he said.
Stevenson’s Response and Fan Reaction
Stevenson’s endorsement of De La Hoya’s vision, symbolized by a simple tweet response, underscores his receptivity to a new direction in his career. Fans, divided over Stevenson’s recent performances, await eagerly to see if the Newark native can resurrect his image and fulfill his potential under a new promotional banner.
