Written by: Sean Crose
He was there Saturday at the Prudential Center in his hometown of Newark, fighting a hometown fight against the determined but untalented Artem Harutyunyan. It was the perfect time for WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson to set off fireworks over the Fourth of July weekend. The only problem is that he didn't. While 22-0 Stevenson clearly dominated the fight against Harutyunyan, he failed to impress, even when he appeared to be hurting his opponent. Of course, he won the competition but Stevenson also had to endure the taunts of others in his home audience on his way to victory. Obviously, the fans wanted more.
The truth is that none of this could have been Stevenson's fault. He is incredibly talented and skilled in the ring. The problem is that he doesn't have superpowers. Perhaps even more damaging, Stevenson is not the type of science fighter who would please fans. Pernell Whitaker, for example, had an attractive defensive style. The same thing happened to Floyd Mayweather. Senior players Billy Conn and Willie Pep were praised for their finesse. Stevenson is not praised for his fine-tuned ring qualities. He is criticized for his unattractive style.
There are undoubtedly those who want to see Stevenson change his style. Taking more risks, putting his punches together in general. These are understandable arguments but it is starting to look like Stevenson is not that guy. Vasyl Lomachenko, for example, is not going to be able to just go out and out. Stevenson is not there either. It's not just him. Unfortunately for Stevenson, his style is not as impressive as Lomachenko's. Since last weekend's win, Stevenson has been getting a bit of a blast online, and at least some of it is unwanted. However, the man is frustrated and with good reason.
Fight the fans, after all, like the biggest sluggers of all time. Tunney managed to get the better of Dempsey twice, but it was the ruthless Dempsey who is best remembered. Tyson had a very low defense, but that's not what people remember from decades ago. Slicksters are also popular, as are fighters with both smoothness and power. Stevenson is no ring, but he is one of the best in the business regardless.
Fortunately, he holds a very good title. Those around him who seek true glory will have to appear at his door sooner or later.
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