By Brian Webber: Former two-division world champion Shakur Stevenson and Frank Martin have reportedly agreed to battle for the vacant WBC light-weight title on November sixteenth or December ninth in a Prime Rank card on ESPN.
Based on ESPN, the Stevenson-Martin battle’s location will probably be in both Las Vegas or New York. A handbag bid that had been scheduled has now been canceled.
The 2016 Olympic silver medalist Shakur, a extremely expert defensive specialist, has confirmed to be very tough to hit throughout his six-year skilled profession.
Can Frank Martin get to Stevenson?
With Stevenson’s means to battle at vary, he’s going to make it problematic for the larger, stronger 28-year-old Frank Martin (18-0 13 KOs) to land his pictures.
Martin has the ability to harm Shakur if he can catch him coming in or if he’s keen to pursue him across the ring to land. We noticed how two-time Cuban Olympic gold medalist Robeisy Ramirez discovered success towards Stevenson of their battle in 2016 by chasing him and never letting him escape.
Shakur was in tears on the finish of their battle, however he solely had himself in charge. He couldn’t deal with the warmth from Robeisy, and working wasn’t the reply to his issues in that battle.
Martin will want good foot velocity and a capability to chop off the ring if he’s to have any shot at beating the fleet of foot Shakur. Frank’s final battle towards Artem Harutyunyan may have helped him lots to prepare for the eel-like defensive means of Shakur.
In Martin’s battle towards Harutyunyan final July, he struggled to land his headshot throughout the first 9 rounds of the competition. It was solely when Martin started specializing in touchdown to the physique of Harutyunyan within the tenth spherical that he discovered success.
Martin might want to goal the physique of Shakur if he’s to have an honest likelihood of profitable as a result of he doesn’t possess the foot velocity of a expertise like Robeisy Ramirez to chase him round all night time. Shakur makes use of that pull-back transfer to keep away from punches, and he’s not going to be hittable for Martin if he targets his head.
#2 WBC Stevenson (20-0, 10 KOs) had hoped to face #1 Vasily Lomachenko for the vacant World Boxing Council 135-lb title after champion Devin Haney fled the division, selecting to go in direction of safer territory & greener pastures at 140.
Nevertheless, Lomachenko will probably be taking the rest of 2023 off, in response to promoter Bob Arum. He might return in 2024 to face the Stevenson vs. Martin winner for the WBC title.
Shakur Stevenson and Frank Martin have agreed to a deal for a light-weight battle that may possible place on both Nov. 16 in Las Vegas or Dec. 9 in New York as an ESPN predominant occasion, sources informed ESPN. The WBC purse bid for Stevenson-Martin was scheduled for this afternoon.
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) September 5, 2023
