.
Inconsiderate of such “hulking” matters, it should be plainly accepted – and with enthusiasm and “relief” but without need for hype, nor hiperbole – that Shakur Stevenson‘s has… “got next!“, as the young, hip and urban like to say and espouse upon.
.
Yes, we of the “fistic tribe” are always – with “skinned eyes” – on the lookout for the next great talent to come down the pike. And from the early onset, it was obvious to me(at least), that young Shakur possessed that inestimable hybrid of fast-twitch muscle fibers and dynamic technical ability that frequently future legends come endowed with.
.
Compliments have not always come a’flowin from my lips or fingertips towards Mr Stevenson…
.
A few years back, I saw one of his early fights and I subjected him to the “accusation” of not being able to measure his distance well enough, as he kept “leaping” (inward and outward) too much, and I felt he often got in and out of range in a fashion that was wearying on his competency (specifically, of his footwork and ring generalship) to both defend and attack.
.
Whether I was then right or counterfactual (perish the thought…), I wrote it on twitter, and Shakur was not appreciative of it, as he “castigated” me back (although, not in an ill-mannered fashion) telling (in a seemingly “agitated” mood…) me that I was wrong.
.
One thing is for sure, Shakur’s ability to measure the distance has improved by quite a ways ever since that criticism of mine, there’s no two ways about it. He continually comes across like the closest thing we have seen to a young Floyd Mayweather Jr., fast and sharp! And physically, there are some similarities. In 1996, in the Atlanta games, Floyd was competing as an amateur at Featherweight. 20 years later, Shakur was competing at Bantamweight in 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
.
But, “the eye test” tells me that Floyd might have been the more gifted physical athlete, for even though they are both 5.8 tall (perhaps a shade under that for Floyd), Mayweather presents the more impressive physical specimen, more ectomorphic, with an ostensibly broader shoulder girdle and a longer reach (72 inches to Shakur’s 68 inches).
.
Floyd started his career at 131 pounds in 1996, and by 2012 he had bodily matured and was competing as high as 151 pounds, a full 20 pounds “North” from wence he had started. Therefore for this reason, many believe that Floyd’s “anointed” heir (Shakur) should also be able to “negotiate” his “ballooning” from the 124,8 pounds – with which he started in the pro ranks back on April 22nd of 2017 – all the way up… to at least 135 pounds (in 6 short years) and eventually, all the way up to Junior-Middleweight.
.
This is where I have another bone to pick with Shakur, when I first saw him on the scales at 124,8 lbs distributed over his 5.8, he already looked “beefy“, slightly “bloated” and starting to lack in muscular definition. Even way back then I considered the possibility that he was conceivably a natural 122 or even 118 pounder. Yes, he has looked spectacular at 126 and 130 pounds, and physically he’s been (more than) up to the challenge, and he has not looked “milquetoastish“, slow, sluggish, nor winded.
.
But there’s a very real possibility, that he’s been overwhelming his mollycoddle-looking adversaries mostly due to his youth, athleticism, ginormous skill and ambition, and not because he’s fighting men his own size.
.
Yesterday (Thursday, September 22nd), he (who is decidedly looking fleshier and fleshier by the outing) couldn’t even come in at the contractually agreed upon poundage of 130 pounds, and so it seems – and he claims it – that a little more than 5 years after starting his professional adventure, he’s already outgrown (or.. out-eaten or out-dieted) two weight divisions.
.
For comparison’s sake, it took Floyd Mayweather Jr. 9 years to move upwards 2 weight divisions from 130 pounds to 140 pounds, but Shakur has done it in almost half that time span. and in my estimation, Shakur is naturally a (slightly)smaller man than Mayweather. I don’t think the problems reside with hypertrophic training in the gym, but rather with his kitchen table and refrigerator.
.
Will Shakur continue to be a major force at 135 pounds? I believe that he will, although, physically he might start to taper off as far as his ability to contriturate opponents as they get naturally bigger, and he perhaps, gets further away from his natural competitive fighting weight and trim.
.
Financially though, 135 is the division to be at the moment, if he wants to “spin” some serious money, then, “embroilments” with the likes of Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney and Vasyl Lomachenko seem the way to go about… “overstuffing” (pun intended) his bank account.
.
At present time, Devin Haney (23) sits at the top of the “Lightweight throne“, and in all likelihood, his paymasters at Top Rank Boxing are lining up Vasyl Lomachenko (almost 35 years old) to face him in the coming year. If “Loma” defeats (which he may very well still be able to do) Haney, then Top Rank will cheerfully and acquiescently draw up a rematch between them. Meanwhile, they’ll debut Shakur at 135 against a “light touch“, and subsequently, quite possibly, build his profile (at 135) by getting him in there vs George Kambosos Jr and/or Richard Commey.
.
Once the dust has settled on Loma vs Haney (which may in all possibility become a 2 fight affair), Top Rank will plausibly either have Shakur fighting the loser or the winner, depending on where he is in his fistic and physical evolution and aclimatization at 135 pounds. Fights between those 3 sound like a grand idea to me. And I would not be surprised if eventually, Stevenson proves to be too good for Haney and too young for Lomachenko.
.
I once rated Vasyl Lomachenko as the most skilled boxer since a prime Mayweather was in 2005. But the tinier men’s “apexes” usually end sooner than the big men’s. I would not be shocked if in retrospect we come to discover that Loma’s peak years ended in early 2019. Or to put in other words, if and when he faces Devin Haney in 2023, Lomachenko may very well be 4 years past his prime. In spite of that contingency, I look forward to such a contest, in order to see if skill and experience can overcome size (and considerable skill) and youth.
.
But for me, the “nirvana” has been quite clear and obvious for a couple of years, I very much want Lomachenko vs Stevenson, as that for me, talent-wise, is the best pure Boxing match that can be staged, as they – in the fullness of time – may very well come to be regarded, as the most talented boxers of the past 15 years.
.
Yes, we of the “fistic tribe” are always – with “skinned eyes” – on the lookout for the next great talent to come down the pike. And from the early onset, it was obvious to me(at least), that young Shakur possessed that inestimable hybrid of fast-twitch muscle fibers and dynamic technical ability that frequently future legends come endowed with.
.
Compliments have not always come a’flowin from my lips or fingertips towards Mr Stevenson…
.
A few years back, I saw one of his early fights and I subjected him to the “accusation” of not being able to measure his distance well enough, as he kept “leaping” (inward and outward) too much, and I felt he often got in and out of range in a fashion that was wearying on his competency (specifically, of his footwork and ring generalship) to both defend and attack.
.
Whether I was then right or counterfactual (perish the thought…), I wrote it on twitter, and Shakur was not appreciative of it, as he “castigated” me back (although, not in an ill-mannered fashion) telling (in a seemingly “agitated” mood…) me that I was wrong.
.
One thing is for sure, Shakur’s ability to measure the distance has improved by quite a ways ever since that criticism of mine, there’s no two ways about it. He continually comes across like the closest thing we have seen to a young Floyd Mayweather Jr., fast and sharp! And physically, there are some similarities. In 1996, in the Atlanta games, Floyd was competing as an amateur at Featherweight. 20 years later, Shakur was competing at Bantamweight in 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
.
But, “the eye test” tells me that Floyd might have been the more gifted physical athlete, for even though they are both 5.8 tall (perhaps a shade under that for Floyd), Mayweather presents the more impressive physical specimen, more ectomorphic, with an ostensibly broader shoulder girdle and a longer reach (72 inches to Shakur’s 68 inches).
.
Floyd started his career at 131 pounds in 1996, and by 2012 he had bodily matured and was competing as high as 151 pounds, a full 20 pounds “North” from wence he had started. Therefore for this reason, many believe that Floyd’s “anointed” heir (Shakur) should also be able to “negotiate” his “ballooning” from the 124,8 pounds – with which he started in the pro ranks back on April 22nd of 2017 – all the way up… to at least 135 pounds (in 6 short years) and eventually, all the way up to Junior-Middleweight.
.
This is where I have another bone to pick with Shakur, when I first saw him on the scales at 124,8 lbs distributed over his 5.8, he already looked “beefy“, slightly “bloated” and starting to lack in muscular definition. Even way back then I considered the possibility that he was conceivably a natural 122 or even 118 pounder. Yes, he has looked spectacular at 126 and 130 pounds, and physically he’s been (more than) up to the challenge, and he has not looked “milquetoastish“, slow, sluggish, nor winded.
.
But there’s a very real possibility, that he’s been overwhelming his mollycoddle-looking adversaries mostly due to his youth, athleticism, ginormous skill and ambition, and not because he’s fighting men his own size.
.
Yesterday (Thursday, September 22nd), he (who is decidedly looking fleshier and fleshier by the outing) couldn’t even come in at the contractually agreed upon poundage of 130 pounds, and so it seems – and he claims it – that a little more than 5 years after starting his professional adventure, he’s already outgrown (or.. out-eaten or out-dieted) two weight divisions.
.
For comparison’s sake, it took Floyd Mayweather Jr. 9 years to move upwards 2 weight divisions from 130 pounds to 140 pounds, but Shakur has done it in almost half that time span. and in my estimation, Shakur is naturally a (slightly)smaller man than Mayweather. I don’t think the problems reside with hypertrophic training in the gym, but rather with his kitchen table and refrigerator.
.
Will Shakur continue to be a major force at 135 pounds? I believe that he will, although, physically he might start to taper off as far as his ability to contriturate opponents as they get naturally bigger, and he perhaps, gets further away from his natural competitive fighting weight and trim.
.
Financially though, 135 is the division to be at the moment, if he wants to “spin” some serious money, then, “embroilments” with the likes of Gervonta Davis, Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney and Vasyl Lomachenko seem the way to go about… “overstuffing” (pun intended) his bank account.
.
At present time, Devin Haney (23) sits at the top of the “Lightweight throne“, and in all likelihood, his paymasters at Top Rank Boxing are lining up Vasyl Lomachenko (almost 35 years old) to face him in the coming year. If “Loma” defeats (which he may very well still be able to do) Haney, then Top Rank will cheerfully and acquiescently draw up a rematch between them. Meanwhile, they’ll debut Shakur at 135 against a “light touch“, and subsequently, quite possibly, build his profile (at 135) by getting him in there vs George Kambosos Jr and/or Richard Commey.
.
Once the dust has settled on Loma vs Haney (which may in all possibility become a 2 fight affair), Top Rank will plausibly either have Shakur fighting the loser or the winner, depending on where he is in his fistic and physical evolution and aclimatization at 135 pounds. Fights between those 3 sound like a grand idea to me. And I would not be surprised if eventually, Stevenson proves to be too good for Haney and too young for Lomachenko.
.
I once rated Vasyl Lomachenko as the most skilled boxer since a prime Mayweather was in 2005. But the tinier men’s “apexes” usually end sooner than the big men’s. I would not be shocked if in retrospect we come to discover that Loma’s peak years ended in early 2019. Or to put in other words, if and when he faces Devin Haney in 2023, Lomachenko may very well be 4 years past his prime. In spite of that contingency, I look forward to such a contest, in order to see if skill and experience can overcome size (and considerable skill) and youth.
.
But for me, the “nirvana” has been quite clear and obvious for a couple of years, I very much want Lomachenko vs Stevenson, as that for me, talent-wise, is the best pure Boxing match that can be staged, as they – in the fullness of time – may very well come to be regarded, as the most talented boxers of the past 15 years.
.
Back in December of 2020, some “birdbrained” over at (the overly politicized) ESPN, dared to suggest that one Chris Colbert was the next coming of Floyd Mayweather Jr. Anybody that proposed such a notion should have their “Boxing card” withdrawn, effective forthwith.
.
Colbert is an adequately skilled fighter with a great penchant for self-promotion, but skill is skill, and a vociferous “entertainer” (“posing” as a sports journalist) ought not be confused with the modality’s true cognoscenti…
.
Wallack’s Point,
Friday, September 23rd, 2022
.
Text: Ronald William Miller.
Image: All rights reserved.
.
Back in December of 2020, some “birdbrained” over at (the overly politicized) ESPN, dared to suggest that one Chris Colbert was the next coming of Floyd Mayweather Jr. Anybody that proposed such a notion should have their “Boxing card” withdrawn, effective forthwith.
.
Colbert is an adequately skilled fighter with a great penchant for self-promotion, but skill is skill, and a vociferous “entertainer” (“posing” as a sports journalist) ought not be confused with the modality’s true cognoscenti…
.
Wallack’s Point,
Friday, September 23rd, 2022
.
Text: Ronald William Miller.
Image: All rights reserved.
.
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