Shakur Stevenson has not reacted well at all to public criticism he received for his match against Artem Harutyunyan on July 6th, held in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey. After the criticism built up over the past couple of days, Stevenson has continued to defend himself on social media while displaying a level of aggression that was notably amiss during his July 6th fight.
On July 6th, WBC lightweight (135 lbs) champion Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KO’s) carved a dominant win in his first title defense against German combatant Artem Harutyunyan (12-2, 7 KO’s), but the fight was nonetheless criticized for the lack of action by mostly Stevenson, whose focus on defense prevented him from producing a masterclass on offense.
Most of the backlash was evident on tape itself as ESPN’s post-match interview of the fight saw presenter Mark Kriegel openly mention the booing that occurred during Stevenson’s fight. After being asked about this, Stevenson opted to deflect his performance off of Harutyunyan.
“I think the boos [were] probably ’cause of him [Artem Harutyunyan]. He ain’t really tried to make the fight.”
Shakur Stevenson
Shakur Stevenson further asserted that his performance depended on the quality of opponents he faced as he maintained Harutyunyan had not been too willing to engage; comments which mirror the statements he made following his November 16th match against Edwin De Los Santos (16-2, 14 KO’s) after their match endured identical critique of his “boring” performance.
“Like I said, I want to fight the best fighters in boxing. That’s how you’re going to see the best version of me when you put me in the ring with someone else that wants to fight back and compete. That’s when you get the best out of me.”
Shakur Stevenson
Stevenson’s insistence on blaming his opponents for his performance has not gone over too well, with public sentiment going strictly against him. Within the days after his July 6th victory, Shakur opted to react to criticism against him rather than remain silent.
“Most hated man in the sport I appreciate y’all for it, thank [you].. Much respect to Artem [Harutyunyan] he came in shape and did what he could last night I respect it.. S\O [shout out] to the ones who support me [for real]. Y’all the ones who keep me going. We still undefeated and it’s gone stay that way! Tell your [favorite] fighters jump in the ring since I’m not like that I’ll be ready and waiting Thank u all for the good and the bad.”
Shakur Stevenson
This Twitter/X post, sent a day after his fight with Harutyunan, only seemed to aid in opening up a can of worms as the criticism on social media increased, eventually leading to Stevenson releasing a number of aggressive tirades, despite that same aggression conveniently missing during his last two fights.
ESPN would also become the target for Stevenson as he implicated the media conglomerate in turning ESPN employees Timothy Bradley and Mark Kriegel against him.
“Tim Bradley starting off saying how he truly felt on the air and then the higher powers told him switch that energy up.. My boy [Mark] Kriegel jumped in the ring and asked mostly negative questions cause the higher powers told him to do so, Tough game stay strong out here when they against u they gone send everybody at [you] to try and destroy [you].”
Shakur Stevenson
Stevenson’s statements contrast his own comments following his previous two matches where he maintained that it was his opponents’ fault for his perceived boring performance. Instead of remaining consistent, Stevenson now asserts that ESPN aided in changing public perception.
There is, of course, a more rational reason for why Stevenson has been criticized, with his defensive style―while considered effective―not actually made to entertain the masses due to the lack of offensive output. As a result, Stevenson won many matches without damaging himself greatly but that has come at the price of him being perceived as a dull fighter.
The only likely recourse for Shakur Stevenson would be to switch his style to incorporate more aggression, but doing so would affect his defense and put him into more danger going forward, making it very much a personal journey for Stevenson to perhaps discover a balanced approach where both offense and defense can be seamlessly intertwined to make him both a healthy and dangerous fighter.
With Shakur Stevenson already facing public backlash for his performances and post-match statements, it will be interesting how his foray into free agency will go with his Top Rank contract confirmed to have been expired following his July 6th match. UK-based promotional outfit Matchroom has been the only promotion thus far that has openly expressed interest in signing Stevenson.
