Shakur Stevenson may have secured another victory, but the conversation surrounding his performance seems to be heading in a familiar direction. Scheduled to face Floyd Schofield, Stevenson instead fought Josh Padley after Schofield withdrew due to illness. While the change in opponent didn’t significantly alter expectations, Stevenson’s ninth-round KO of Padley left many fans unimpressed.
Boxing fan Ray Jackson ignited discussions online by posting a picture of Turki Alalshikh seemingly uninterested in the Stevenson-Padley fight. In the image, Alalshikh, a major figure behind the Riyadh Season boxing events, appears focused on his phone rather than the match. Jackson’s caption, “Turki Alalshikh was on his phone instead of watching Shakur ,” fueled criticism of Stevenson’s approach in the ring.
This isn’t the first time Stevenson has been called out for a lackluster performance. Fans recall Oscar De La Hoya’s viral comment, “Can someone wake Bob up? ” after Stevenson’s victory over Edwin De Los Santos in 2023. A similar sentiment arose after his fight against Artem Harutyunyan six months later. Many feel his technical style, though effective, lacks excitement.
Fans weigh in on Stevenson’s performance
Social media was abuzz with reactions. One fan sarcastically commented, “Watch what? The guy play paddy cake? Stevenson is the most overrated fighter since Andre Ward.” Others echoed the sentiment, arguing that his low punch output makes his fights less thrilling for casual viewers.
Another fan noted, “I don’t blame him,” in reference to Alalshikh’s apparent disinterest. Given the late opponent change, many assumed the fight’s outcome was inevitable. Some even argued that Padley, despite losing, gained more respect than Stevenson: “Padley’s stock went up more than Shakur’s.”
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