Making the case for Shakur Stevenson as a crowdpleaser

Shakur Stevenson will defend his WBC lightweight title against William Zepeda on July 12, and will enter the ring with the added weight of cynicism from the boxing world over his style.  

The three-weight world champion has long endured criticism for not being a fan-friendly boxer - too boring, too safe... or is he just too good? 

Long-time boxing commentator Jim Lampley said of Stevenson: “Shakur Stevenson is choosing to win and so far in choosing to win he’s getting less entertaining...I think a fight against Tank Davis would be a great attraction, but nobody wants to see Shakur Stevenson go in and play chess." 

World champion trainer Robert Garcia said: "Nobody is happy to challenge him. Nobody is out there like, ‘Oh, s***, I want to fight Shakur,’ because he brings no excitement to the fight.” 
 
Watching Stevenson is less like watching fireworks than it is admiring the intricacies and minutia of a watch's movements. To that effect, labelling a fighter as ‘boring’ is a mischaracterisation of concepts that an onlooker perhaps cannot comprehend.  

Stevenson has become a victim of his own success and skill. It therefore seems appropriate to set the record straight and explain why the WBC lightweight champion is one of the most exciting talents that boxing has to offer.  

Distance control 

Something that often gets eclipsed by flashy combinations and knockout punches is the ability of a boxer to make micro adjustments to their feet to put themselves inside or outside of range. Using their feet as bait or as an escape. 

This is a crucial element of Stevenson's game. Time and time again, we see his opponents fall short by the barest of margins and find themselves on the end of a vicious counter-shot or combination.  

Some mistake this for not wanting to fight - but when you’re levels are significantly above your opponents, the only chance they have of snatching a win is drawing you into a firefight at close range.  

Stevenson has become the master of avoiding unnecessary exchanges. He takes half a step on his rear leg or simply leans back, coiling himself like a cobra ready to strike in a split second if his opponent reveals a gap in his defence or comes an inch too close.  

You will rarely see Stevenson take more than two steps in the same direction, making his range impossible to locate and his attacks extremely difficult to predict.  

An understanding of this skill unlocks a deeper appreciation for how difficult it is for a fighter to make another professional fighter fall forward and miss completely. Making it even more impressive that Stevenson makes it look easy. 

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Counter punching  

Counter punching is an alchemy of boxing, mixing anticipation, reactions and hand speed to exploit the gaps in an opponent's attacks. It is in these fine margins that the difference between a good fighter and a great fighter is found.  

Some of the best counter punchers in boxing history include Floyd Mayweather, Muhammad Ali and Roy Jones Jr. Who are, unsurprisingly, also some of the best boxers of all time. 

In the modern game, Stevenson is one of the best examples of someone who employs the use of counterpunching to great effect.  

Granted, pure counterpunchers can breed stagnation in bouts as they rarely take the initiative, but Stevenson is not as one-dimensional as that and perfectly utilises it to muzzle his aggressive opponents and draw out those who are content to remain inert.  

A perfect demonstration of this comes from Stevenson’s last fight against Josh Padley.  

In the opening stanzas, the WBC champ doesn’t wait for Padley to throw first.  He flicks out sharp jabs to force Padley into action and lure him into range, hoping to find a counter to Stevenson’s jab.  

This is exactly what Stevenson wants. To draw out a counterpunch to land one of his own. As Padley steps in with a counter jab or right hand, he gets caught with a right hook or left hand from Stevenson.  

After nine rounds of countering every weapon Padley had to offer, the Englishman lost confidence in his arsenal and resorted to desperate attempts to score a knockout. This opened the door for the much more composed Stevenson to go to work and unleash lightning-fast combinations, on the front foot, which would eventually end the fight.  

The Newark native’s counterpunching ability not only creates moments of almost artistic brilliance in the ring, where he can look prescient at times, but it builds anticipation.  

When Stevenson and his opponent posture in front of each other, there is a feeling of palpable anxiety as he is poised to strike - building excitement into a fight that volume punchers or brawlers cannot.  

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 Combinations 

Combination punching should be the  – putting shots together with good variety and speed is one of the most efficient ways to score points and break through an opponent’s defence.  

When Stevenson lets his hands go, his combinations are a joy to watch. They flow like water and evolve into a torrent to drown his opposition. You will often see him measuring the distance to his opponent before mounting an attack – he will place his lead hand onto the guard of his opponent so he can gauge exactly where they are. This allows him to land with pinpoint accuracy and obscure their vision to any incoming fire. 

Because of this, he often begins his combinations with a rear left hand, either as a straight or a hook around the guard. But what is most eye-catching about Stevenson’s combinations is the variety with which he throws. 

Stevenson flows so instinctively between head and body. Throwing hooks followed up by straights or uppercuts that split the guard before switching down to the body and getting himself back out at range.  

The New Jersey native does not throw wild combinations. They are considered and only thrown at the opportune moment, which is why they are so effective – he is not wasteful. 

A mistake many fighters make is getting too close to their opponents when in combination, crowding their work. Stevenson, such is his pugilistic wizardry, throws three or four shots and re-establishes his range with the lead hand before unloading another barrage if the opportunity is there.  

Boxing is a sport of many different styles, and sometimes you may see a style that’s not for you, that’s your right as a fan. But to cast the dye of boredom on a three-weight world champion and one of the most talented boxers in any weight class seems like you haven’t taken the time to truly understand the type of fighter that he is. You are missing out.  

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