Promoter Eddie Hearn revealed today that he’s signed Shakur Stevenson to a two-fight deal. The first match will be against Joe Cordina on October 12th, and the second will be against William Zepeda in February.
Hearn says if Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) is “triumphant” in his first two fights with Matchroom against Cordina and Zepeda, he’ll look to make a mega-fight against Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis in mid-2025 in the summer. The Newark, New Jersey native Shakur may not get to that fight if gets beaten by Cordina (17-1, 9 KOs) or #1 WBC Zepeda.
The Short-Term Contract: Hearn’s Safety Net?
As for why he only signed Shakur to a two-fight deal rather than a longer one, Hearn said that he would want him to have the freedom to decide whether he’s enjoying being with Matchroom to re-sign or move on if he’s unhappy. However, this is likely Hearn’s escape route to wash his hands of Shakur if he loses or looks bad in his fights against Cordina and Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs).
The last thing Hearn needs is to have a beaten Shakur, hanging around as a constant reminder of his mistake in signing him to his Matchroom company. Hence, the two-fight contract. Shakur will have a short two-fight lifespan with Hearn, so he can move on if he fails to excel against Cordina and Zepeda.
Doubts About Stevenson’s Star Power
If Hearn had watched Shakur’s fight against Edwin De Los Santos last November, he’d know he’s not going to become a “global star” as he’s banging on about. He’ll not be a star in the U.S. Fans in the States want to be entertained, and Shakur doesn’t meet their standards.
“I know my boxing, and I know how good this kid is,” said Eddie Hearn to the Matchroom Boxing YouTube channel, hyping up Shakur Stevenson, his new signee. “He may be unbeatable. I know he’s a pound-for-pound star. There’s something about Shakur’s mentality that gives me confidence that he beats everybody.
“I think he’s been massively undersold. I think he should be, not just an American superstar, but a global superstar. I think he’s edgy; I think he’s unbelievably talented, and I’m going to do everything I can to give him the platform and the promotional push that his ability deserves.
“For Shakur, there’s this two-fight plan of Joe Cordina and if he’s triumphant into the [William] Zepeda fight. We’ll show him during that period our value. We’ll work together closely, and then we’ll move forward against Gervonta Davis and everybody.
“I hope these two fights lead to Shakur Stevenson’s rest of his career with Matchroom. It would be an honor. So many promotional companies want to lock you into a three, four, five-year deal,” said Hearn when asked why he signed Shakur to just a two-fight deal.
“I understand that multi-year deal when you’re starting off in the game. I’m confident that once you work with me, you’ll never want to work with anyone else, and if you don’t enjoy the experience, no problem. You can go elsewhere,” said Hearn, giving his reason for giving Shakur a short two-fight deal.
