Shakur Stevenson’s decision to leave Zuffa Boxing has left one Hall of Famer scratching his head, wondering whether the 29-year-old is just simply afraid of risking his unbeaten record.
Sure enough, it came as a surprise to many when Stevenson announced earlier this week that, before even making his Zuffa debut, he has chosen to split from Dana White’s promotional outfit.
In his words, he was granted free agency and is now set to launch his own promotional company, despite inking a deal with Zuffa earlier this year.
That announcement followed the American’s unanimous decision victory over Teofimo Lopez, who he dethroned for the WBO super-lightweight title in January.
Since then, Stevenson has been linked to fights with several potential opponents, including Devin Haney and Gary Antuanne Russell, but is ultimately left with no date in the diary for later this year.
But while some have blamed Zuffa for not delivering on their end of the bargain, former two-division world champion Tim Bradley has suggested on his YouTube channel that Stevenson is too selective at the negotiating table.
“I wish you nothing but luck … but I just feel like you dropped the ball here. And this is all done because you’re afraid to lose that 0.
“Obviously, you showed it ain’t about the money [Stevenson rejected millions to fight with Zuffa]. What is it about, legacy? No, it ain’t about legacy because if it was, you would have [done] what you had to do. You looking silly as hell trying to protect that 0.
“That 0 don’t define you, brother, but what does define you [are] the challenges you are willing to take and endure. That’s what counts. That’s what the fans tune in for.”
Having become a four-division world champion, Stevenson is no stranger to facing top-level opposition but, clearly, Bradley feels he could show more enthusiasm for the biggest challenges.
