WILL THE REAL SHAKUR PLEASE STAND UP?

Ask any bona fide boxing fan to pick out the leading technicians in the sport today and it won’t take long for them to deliver the name Shakur Stevenson.

The New Jersey native was a Rio Olympics silver medallist in 2016, turned pro the following year, and has picked up world titles across three weight classes already.

The 27-year-old has won all 21 of his prizefights and rarely loses more than a round or two, even over the championship distance.

But the truth is, Stevenson’s ability swamps his mainstream credibility.

He has simply not crossed over into the pop culture like domestic rivals Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney or even the troubled Ryan Garcia.

This weekend, Stevenson makes the first defence of his lightweight world title against hand-picked German Artem Harutyunyan back home at the Prudential Center in Newark.

The challenger, 33, was unbeaten in 12 fights before his first trip to the US last summer, when he was dropped in the 12th round and outpointed by Frank Martin.

Quite how the European has landed himself a world title fight on the back of a defeat is anyone’s guess. But his appointment is typical of Stevenson’s campaign as champion.

He’s won four versions of the world title – one at featherweight, two at super-feather and one lightweight – in just five fights.

But only two of those fights were against established champions, two were vacated belts. Whilst in the other Stevenson failed to make weight, seeing him stripped of those two 130lb titles.

All but one of his world title fights have gone the distance too, just his initial foray at 130lb against Jamel Herring ending inside the distance.

Indeed, it’s the Herring and subsequent points victor over the determined and then unbeaten Mexican Oscar Valdes in 2022 that cemented Shakur’s position as one of the best pugilists in the sport.

A smooth operator, he glides around the ring, firing off from a southpaw stance and with an ability to go through the gears effortlessly.

But it’s the lack of a ruthless streak that is perhaps behind Stevenson’s inability to win over the wider audience.

In a sporting landscape that now rotates around viral moments, his career is all style with little substance.

A stoppage victory on Saturday night is a must if he is to finally start grabbing headlines away from the boxing press, but his outgoing promoter, Top Rank, have delivered him the perfect patsy.

Harutyunyan may have avoided Stevenson out in Rio, where he picked up a bronze medal by reaching the semi-final representing Germany, but he will have nowhere to hide in the small hours of Sunday morning.

The German’s 58% stoppage rate fairs better than Shakur’s meagre 48%, which coupled with the fact he suffered his first defeat last time out, suggests he’s going to come out on the front foot.

But that should play right into Stevenson’s hands who, for all the criticisms, is a beautiful boxer who, despite the boos of frustrated crowds, is more than happy to rack up rounds.

TIP: Stevenson on Points

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