Shakur Stevenson Impending Free Agency: 3 Places the Lightweight Champion May Land

When Shakur Stevenson wakes up Sunday morning, hours after the conclusion of this weekend’s fight with Artem Harutyunyan, he’ll wake up without a promotional company to call home.

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That is when the contractual ties to Bob Arum’s Top Rank will have concluded making the WBC lightweight champion a free agent, marking the end of a seven-year partnership. As one of boxing’s brightest talents, Shakur Stevenson has no shortage of options. Here are three potential destinations for the Newark, New Jersey native.

Matchroom

Eddie Hearn has built an international juggernaut with Matchroom . Boasting some of the biggest names outside of the US, such as Anthony Joshua and Dmitry Bivol, Shakur Stevenson could benefit from the worldwide stage.

Also, Matchroom’s close ties with Riyadh Season only amplify its appeal. The timing feels right for the Olympic gold medalist to make the jump. With Deontay Wilder ’s decline and the upcoming co-promotion in Los Angeles for the Terence Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov bout, Matchroom could benefit from the American star being on its roster.

Premier Boxing Championships

Sure, PBC isn’t technically a promotion but in reality, it functions as one. While Top Rank may have had trouble trying to turn Shakur Stevenson into a pay-per-view draw, the “advice” of Al Haymon could be what’s needed to get over the hump.

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Additionally, PBC’s broadcast deal with Amazon can’t hurt either. With an estimated reach of 180 million users in the United States, a lot of eyeballs can find their way to Stevenson.

Top Rank

It may not make for the most enticing headline, but Stevenson resigning with Top Rank may not be a bad move. Arum, along with former champ and manager Andre Ward, have guided him to an undefeated career and world titles in three divisions.

Top Rank’s broadcast partnership with ESPN also guarantees a prestige placement in American homes. If Arum can figure out a way to make Stevenson a star on par with his skill set, it would go a long way to push the racial discrimination allegations from Floyd Mayweather Jr and Crawford in the rearview mirror.

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