USA’s Shakur Stevenson guarantees bronze medal, with a little help from Floyd Mayweather

Shakur Stevenson

AMERICAโ€™S Shakur Stevenson advanced to the 56kgs semi-final after outpointing Mongoliaโ€™s Tsendbaatar Erdenebat, 30-27 for all three judges, on Tuesday (August 16). He’s guaranteed an Olympic bronze medal and will box for a place in the final on Thursday (August 18).

He noticed none other than Floyd Mayweather in the crowd. โ€œI got excited and I got a little nervous but I got it done,โ€ Shakur said.

Mayweather was issuing some advice from the stands. โ€œHe kept saying jab. Then he kept saying go to the body. I heard him a lot,โ€ Stevenson said. โ€œHeโ€™s been in the same situation before, he mastered boxing, heโ€™s one of the greatest. So of course Iโ€™ve got to listen once I hear Floyd talking.โ€

He saw Michael Conlanโ€™s controversial defeat to Russiaโ€™s Vladimir Nikitin as he was warming up for his semi-final. โ€œI wanted to fight Conlan. I felt Conlan won his fight, honestly, but now weโ€™ve got to focus on the Russian,โ€ Shakur said. โ€œI thought he made it clear. I guess the judges saw different. I plan on going in there and focusing on what Iโ€™ve got to do and not worry about no judges or nothing.

โ€œIโ€™ve got to stay focused and go get that gold medal now.โ€

Along with Nico Hernandezโ€™s bronze, the USA boxing team is assured of two medals at Rio 2016. And middleweight Claressa Shields hasnโ€™t even got started yet.

For the latest betting odds on the boxing click HERE

Share Page