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Subscribe now for exclusive content from Sway’s Universe! In this powerful and revealing "Sway In The Morning" interview, boxing superstar Shakur Stevenson discusses his unwavering integrity in the sport, his career journey, and why the fight with Tank Davis "has to happen."
Shakur shares insights on the business of boxing, the importance of staying true to his roots, and his admiration for fellow athletes like Terence Crawford and Clarissa Shields. The conversation also dives into the challenges of making big fights happen, the evolution of his career, and his plans to dominate at 140 lbs.
Don’t miss Shakur's bold predictions, reflections on sparring with Tank, and his vision for uniting boxing fans by prioritizing the best matchups. Stay tuned for more exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes content only on "Sway In The Morning" and Sway’s Universe!
#ShakurStevenson #TankDavis #SwayInTheMorning #Boxing #IntegrityInBoxing #SwaysUniverse
#shakur%20stevenson #shakur%20stevenson #future%20fights #boxing%20integrity #boxing%20integrity
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Sway Calloway Introduces Shakur Stevenson
03:02 - Shakur Stevenson: Business Acumen and Integrity
09:52 - Shakur Stevenson: Future Fight Plans
12:58 - How Fights Get Made in Boxing
13:39 - Accomplishments in Last Fight
14:58 - Sparring Incident with Tank Davis
15:43 - Canelo vs Crawford Fight Predictions
18:05 - Reasons for Moving Up in Weight
20:45 - Relationship with Claressa Shields
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0:00
the pride of boxing. Let's stand up.
0:02
Give this man a a standing ovation right
0:04
now. We got the champion here. Three
0:06
division champion here. I say stand up
0:09
because he is the integrity. He's saving
0:12
the integrity in boxing. Ladies and
0:14
gentlemen, he's the one who ain't been.
0:17
He's the one who stands by his skill
0:19
set.
0:20
>> It don't matter how he promotes himself
0:22
on his Instagram and Tik Tok. He get in
0:24
the ring, he promotes himself.
0:27
>> They don't want to fight him.
0:31
pill.
0:31
>> They'll do whatever they can not to face
0:34
off with him in the ring. He goes by the
0:36
name of Shakur Stevenson and he's here
0:38
today.
0:39
>> We from Sway. Where you from?
0:40
>> Jersey stand.
0:44
>> That was hard, man. That messed up my
0:46
appreciate you. Appreciate you.
0:47
>> I mean it.
0:48
>> I mean it, man. Because I want to say
0:51
thank you to Shakur Stevenson as well
0:53
because when we first started Bridge
0:54
Business,
0:55
>> this man has never even coming on sway
0:58
in the morning. Yeah,
0:59
>> he's never hesitated. Anytime we ask,
1:02
"Hey man, can you come do the platform?
1:04
Can you come do the show?" He's never
1:06
hesitated. You may not even realize this
1:08
cuz there's so many podcasts that are
1:09
out there now, but you were very
1:11
instrumental in us launching this bridge
1:13
business podcast to talk about boxing.
1:16
Not as professionals, we're just
1:18
enthusiasts, man. I came up in the 70s.
1:21
>> I watched TV when Sugar Ray Leonard was
1:24
fighting Haggler. M
1:25
>> I watched Tommy Hearns and Sugar Ray
1:28
Leonard,
1:29
>> man. I seen Muhammad Ali fight on TV,
1:32
bro, as a kid.
1:34
>> So I I love boxing like that.
1:36
>> And so when you start coming on, certain
1:39
people Terrence came on as well.
1:40
>> Yes.
1:41
>> Right. Certain people start coming on
1:42
the show. It really kind of helped us um
1:45
launch this platform. But what you stand
1:48
for is what we stand for.
1:50
>> And what you stand for is great for
1:52
boxing. Especially right now where
1:54
everything else seems to matter to
1:56
people except for what happens in the
1:58
ring.
1:59
>> People question this man about his
2:01
brandability. To me, they don't
2:04
understand the science of what he does
2:06
for the sport
2:07
>> of boxing, what he does and his skill
2:09
set. If you really know how to watch
2:11
boxing, those who would say, "I watch
2:13
this fight. I don't know, man. He's
2:15
great, but I didn't get that excited."
2:17
You might not be aware of what you're
2:18
watching. Cuz to watch this man in a
2:21
ring is like watching poetry
2:22
>> nice
2:23
>> in motion. So I want to say salute to
2:25
you. I watched you come up from amateur
2:27
ranks to Olympics to now.
2:29
>> Man, you're amazing, man. Thank you for
2:31
keeping your integrity in all this.
2:33
>> Yeah,
2:33
>> you're a true champion, man. Shaka
2:35
Stevenson, that's all I really want to
2:36
say to him.
2:38
>> He could go back to Jersey.
2:40
I want to tell you I appreciate you too
2:42
cuz you know when I was coming up y'all
2:44
gave me the platform to speak my um and
2:47
tell everybody what I want to tell
2:49
everybody. So I appreciate y'all for
2:50
putting me out there. Um thank you. We
2:52
here now and
2:53
>> we'll keep it going.
2:54
>> Yeah, man. You didn't even have changed
2:56
when we were talking to you.
3:02
>> A lot has changed since then, man. You
3:05
your father now?
3:06
>> Yeah, I'm a father. Yeah.
3:07
>> Yeah, man. That's amazing. We met him
3:09
before he was a father.
3:12
>> Oh, wow.
3:13
>> Yeah. So many new chapters.
3:14
>> So many new chapters. And here you are,
3:16
bro. That's That's one thing that people
3:19
never question about you is your
3:20
integrity. Why is that? I mean, at a
3:23
time when people are just really cashing
3:24
in on integrity. Why Why is it so
3:26
important to you to maintain that? You
3:28
don't have to.
3:29
>> Uh because, you know, life is bigger
3:31
than just like money, cars, and like the
3:34
fame and everything that come with it. I
3:36
feel like life is bigger than that. Um,
3:38
I feel like just blessing young kids and
3:41
and and being around like my daughter,
3:44
my my little brothers, my little cousin,
3:46
like that means more to me than just
3:48
buying the biggest car or um all that
3:51
kind of stuff. So, for me, uh, keeping
3:53
my integrity intact was like very
3:56
important as I kind of rose up cuz it's
3:57
kind of hard to with the game that we in
4:00
>> right now, right? Yeah. What What is it?
4:02
You know, I I don't like to talk down on
4:05
things, so I don't mean it like this,
4:06
but if what in boxing today would you
4:10
change if you could?
4:12
>> What I would change um if two fighters
4:16
say let's fight.
4:17
>> Mhm.
4:18
>> I think the business of boxing shouldn't
4:20
get in the way. Like I think the um
4:23
fighters should be able to get in the
4:25
ring with each other and uh fight each
4:26
other. So, um that's how I feel like
4:29
just like um even with this guy, my guy
4:31
uh Stephan Espinosa.
4:34
>> Um he works with Tank. If Tank said,
4:37
"Yo, let's fight and I said let's
4:40
fight." It should be just let's fight
4:42
and we should make it happen. It
4:43
shouldn't be nothing else surrounding
4:45
that um situation and not making a fight
4:48
happen.
4:48
>> So, you blame Steve for this.
4:51
Is that what you're saying?
4:53
>> I'm not saying I'm not saying I fully
4:56
blame him because
4:57
>> fully
4:59
I I do blame you for also saying that um
5:02
y'all sent the contract to
5:03
>> Oh, no, no, no, no. Okay. See, I I get
5:06
straight to it, bro.
5:07
>> No, no, no. And then never said he said,
5:08
"Look, there were there were exploratory
5:10
discussions. That was it." Like, nobody
5:13
nobody sent a comment.
5:14
>> But everybody kind of took that
5:16
>> said as you you know how it is. You say
5:19
you say 10% it becomes 10 and and I
5:21
appreciate you for clearing it up
5:23
because you and I have gone back a
5:25
little bit on social media now and then
5:26
and I I want to I want to go back to to
5:28
to your your point about the business.
5:31
>> So I I think as fighters mature
5:34
>> they become more and more a part of
5:36
their business.
5:37
>> Yeah.
5:37
>> Like in the early stage of your career
5:39
you're just fighting.
5:40
>> Yeah.
5:40
>> And then at a certain point you
5:42
transition to be like no I I I want to
5:45
have a say. I wanna, you know, I and and
5:48
ultimately, you know, you see guys like
5:50
Floyd or like Crawford or Canelo,
5:52
they're fully in charge of everything.
5:54
>> Yeah.
5:54
>> Like, where are you in that process? And
5:56
how do you transition from being like a
5:59
guy who goes in the ring to a guy who
6:01
who isn't working for a promoter who has
6:04
a promoter working for him?
6:06
>> I'm actually me and my manager, which is
6:09
um Jay Prince,
6:11
>> we actually like very tight. Like that's
6:13
damn near my family to me. So, um, any
6:16
conversations that's going on, nine
6:18
times out of 10, I'm knowing about it or
6:20
knowing exactly what's going on. So, I,
6:22
as you saying, like as I got older, I
6:24
kind of got involved into everything
6:26
that's going on with my career. And, um,
6:28
yeah, I'm I'm ahead of it, bro.
6:30
>> That's good because that that's a that's
6:32
a transition some player some fighters
6:35
you don't make until too late.
6:37
>> Yeah. you know, but at a certain point
6:39
where you feel like, hey, I'm educated
6:41
enough,
6:41
>> you know, I'm I'm stepping in front
6:44
>> of this, you know, and so I think what
6:46
you said is absolutely right. The
6:47
business shouldn't get in the way, but
6:48
it's also incumbent is as a fighter, you
6:51
can't let your business get in the way.
6:53
Like you can't let your guy, your
6:55
promoter, your promoter's beefs stop you
6:58
from getting the fight that you want.
6:59
>> Do you feel like that happened on his
7:01
Was it any interjection from his
7:03
representation? Well, like I nothing,
7:04
you know, I've never really dealt with
7:06
Jay. You know, I know, you know, Bob
7:08
Barum has very strong feelings about who
7:10
he'll do business with and who he won't
7:12
sometimes. Yeah.
7:12
>> So sometimes that's been a challenge,
7:14
but I, you know, as far as I'm
7:17
concerned, I've never heard Sha Shakur
7:19
personally say, "I'm not fighting this
7:20
guy or I don't want to fight that guy."
7:22
>> But there have been, you know, people
7:23
who at stages were influenced his
7:26
business, which might have made it a
7:28
little bit harder to get that stuff.
7:30
>> I got a question. Hold up, hold up, hold
7:31
up. cuz cuz we we got to make sure like
7:34
it's said the right way.
7:37
>> You reached out to Tyrank before.
7:40
>> Mhm.
7:40
>> For a fight with me and Tank.
7:42
>> For a fight with you and Tank. Yeah.
7:43
>> And when And when did this happen?
7:45
>> I mean, years ago.
7:47
>> Years ago.
7:48
>> Are you Are you sure? Is that what
7:50
you're saying?
7:50
>> Yeah. I mean, it was you years ago. It
7:53
didn't go very far at all because, you
7:55
know,
7:55
>> so if Bob Aaron was to get into the
7:58
conversation, he's going to agree with
8:00
this. I don't know what he was gonna
8:01
say.
8:02
>> Okay.
8:02
>> See, that's that's the thing with boxing
8:04
though, bro.
8:05
>> That's where the gray area happens,
8:06
right?
8:07
>> It's like that's what I'm trying to say.
8:08
Like the fighters want to fight each
8:10
other, but if we want to fight each
8:11
other, it's all types of
8:13
miscommunications and promoters having
8:16
beef with each other where it's like
8:18
>> we don't know about it, but it's like,
8:20
come on now, bro.
8:21
>> I mean, so you you and Tank have
8:23
verbally said to each other, "Let's
8:25
fight."
8:25
>> He said he was going to do something to
8:27
me.
8:27
>> Okay. Okay.
8:28
>> He said he was going to uh do something
8:30
to the house boy from North.
8:32
>> Okay.
8:32
>> So, I was in his six fight deal that he
8:35
supposedly had. Um I don't know what
8:38
happened to the six fight deal. I don't
8:40
know what happened after that, but he
8:41
probably really could tell you more cuz
8:43
I don't know. I just heard it on
8:45
Twitter.
8:45
>> Okay.
8:47
>> You're looking
8:51
I I feel like I see
8:54
so here here here's here's the problem.
8:56
And I think actually
8:59
I think actually becomes a lot easier
9:01
because at a certain point Top Rank and
9:03
this is one of the challenges I I didn't
9:06
have access to working for everybody
9:08
with Top Rank. Top Rank had an exclusive
9:10
deal with ESPN.
9:11
>> Okay.
9:12
>> So when I'm if I've got Showtime
9:14
Fighters, you know, I he you know, you
9:17
talk to Bob, he's like, "Okay, well,
9:19
anything we do, it's got to be on ESPN."
9:20
Mh. And like if I've invested in a bunch
9:23
of people like I'm like wait all this
9:26
guy I've been investing all this money
9:27
in and his big fight is going to go
9:29
somewhere else then I'm trying to run a
9:31
business too. So yeah it becomes
9:34
complicated you know that's thing and so
9:36
at the end of the day you know fighters
9:39
got to step up and say look I don't care
9:40
where it is we'll put on pay-per-view
9:43
we'll put it on whoever it is but now
9:45
it's not an issue. Top Rank doesn't have
9:47
an exclusive deal with ESPN anymore.
9:50
Okay.
9:50
>> And I'm not with Tyrant,
9:52
>> right? No, no, no. I'm saying back
9:53
agent. I mean back. Okay. Okay. I got I
9:55
got another thing. Since we here,
9:57
>> I love this course Steven.
10:00
>> He don't even want This isn't your next
10:02
profession, by the way.
10:04
>> You worked with him, right? So, since
10:06
y'all work together, Tank. Yes.
10:08
>> Since y'all work together,
10:10
>> am I in the plans? Cuz I want the fight.
10:13
>> I I'll tell you this. Tank has
10:15
definitely said repeatedly, "I want to
10:18
fight Shakur." So
10:19
>> I want to fight.
10:20
>> If that's the case, if I'm a free agent
10:22
now, I'm doing whatever I want. I'm
10:24
>> on here fighting these guys. Am I in the
10:26
plans? Like is this six fight deal
10:28
something that's real or was that like
10:30
>> No, he's he's definitely got a plan. And
10:32
like, you know, there are there's a lot
10:35
of fighters which are sort of in group.
10:37
You sort of say, okay, here's the list
10:40
of fighters that I'm planning on
10:41
fighting. It might be six fighters. It
10:43
might be four. It might be eight. But
10:45
when you lay out a plan like that, a
10:47
deal like that, you know, it's sort of
10:49
like, okay, sometimes it's like eight
10:51
fighters even though it's six fights
10:52
because not everybody's available all
10:54
the time. So Shakur is definitely in
10:56
that plan.
10:57
>> Okay.
10:58
>> You know, and
10:58
>> I'm there. So it's going to happen.
11:00
>> Shakur just want to know why Jake Paul
11:02
skipped the line.
11:04
>> Let's get to the meat of it. Let's get
11:05
to the meat of it. Like how the line.
11:07
>> Yeah.
11:10
Right.
11:11
>> Is like Luther. No, I think at the end
11:14
of the day, you you you and Tank is a
11:17
fight that should happen. It absolutely
11:19
should happen, you know, and I I believe
11:21
it will. I mean, you guys are both in
11:23
charge of your career. I think it's a
11:24
good style matchup. Like you said, the
11:26
networks are out of the way. The
11:28
promoters are out of the way. You know,
11:30
he's flexible. You're flexible. I don't
11:32
see why it wouldn't happen.
11:33
>> It's the best verse the best.
11:35
>> Absolutely right.
11:35
>> Let's make the best fighting box ever
11:37
happen.
11:37
>> And and and when you guys meet, how does
11:39
that fight play out? Man, I ain't gonna
11:41
give you no games.
11:45
>> You think you think I'm gonna jump on
11:46
the phone with Tank right after?
11:48
>> No, I would tell you this. I'm gonna
11:49
come out victorious.
11:50
>> Okay. Yeah,
11:51
>> that's what I stand by.
11:52
>> Okay,
11:53
>> that's what you got to say. You're
11:54
supposed to say that.
11:55
>> No, it ain't what I'm supposed to say.
11:56
It's what I know.
11:57
>> Okay.
11:58
But you know, this is the boxing
12:00
business. You get fighters, they they
12:01
they go back and forth on Twitter and
12:03
they be like, "Let's fight. Let's fight.
12:04
Let's fight." You got to put the
12:06
business in between that because
12:07
fighters will be fighting all the time
12:08
just because they arguing back and
12:10
forth, but the business got to make
12:11
sense. So, it's always about the bag.
12:13
So, that's why I feel like uh Turk
12:15
Alashik come in because he'll say, "Hey,
12:16
here go the money. Get these fights to
12:18
happen." That's why I can't believe that
12:20
Bud have to move up two weight classes
12:22
to fight Canelo and David Benvdas was
12:25
right there at 168 comfortably. That's
12:27
why the business of boxing took over.
12:30
But I respect Shak for actually saying
12:32
he want the fight. Where is he at in the
12:34
in the six um fight deal? And where is
12:36
he at in the six fight deal? Is his
12:37
third fight or something like that with
12:38
with with with T?
12:40
>> It's a good question.
12:42
>> It's early. It might be two or three you
12:44
two or three fights in.
12:46
>> You sure you're not freestyling?
12:49
>> I think you're freestyling.
12:51
>> I I didn't prep. I didn't pull
12:53
contracts.
12:55
>> I didn't pull contracts before I walked
12:57
into this. So, no.
12:58
>> Exactly. He's freestyle.
13:01
>> Quick question.
13:02
for like boxing fan newbies. Can you
13:05
both like give us maybe the list the
13:08
order of operations to make a fight
13:10
happen like the task and the people that
13:14
have to aokay so that two folks end up
13:16
in the ring?
13:18
>> Honestly, I think that um back in the
13:20
day it was kind of different, but with
13:22
like Turkey here, I feel like now it's
13:24
becoming the way that I like where it's
13:26
like two fighters say, "I want to
13:28
fight."
13:28
>> Okay. and he makes the fight happen and
13:31
um he put out the right amount of money
13:32
to get the fighters to fight. So um I
13:35
think nowadays is the best that it is
13:37
for me personally.
13:39
>> You you just fought Zapeda, right? And
13:41
we we played that clip and and one of
13:43
the things you wanted people to see in
13:46
this performance is that you're capable
13:48
of bringing excitement and explosion
13:50
into the ring any time given. Do you
13:53
feel like you accomplished that in this
13:55
last fight?
13:56
>> Yeah, I did. I feel like I um put on the
13:58
show. I feel like um Zapeda came in
14:00
there, he came ready, he came in shape.
14:02
Um he did everything that he could to
14:04
win. But um I think that was a
14:06
performance more so for the fans that
14:07
been talking bad about me. It was like,
14:09
"Okay, let me show y'all I got this to
14:11
my game, too." Um
14:12
>> a lot of people don't realize that I can
14:14
do anything that I want in the boxing
14:16
ring. So that's how I feel about myself.
14:18
I I feel like you're getting uh not not
14:21
left behind in the sense that you you're
14:23
at a disadvantage, but people are moving
14:24
up and wait and it seemed like you're
14:26
constantly
14:27
>> chasing folks, man. And how far are you
14:30
willing to move up and wait?
14:32
>> 140.
14:33
>> 140. I may go to 147 for the right
14:36
fight. Like people don't understand, I
14:38
would fight a Connor Ben because I feel
14:40
as though
14:41
>> skills pay the bills. Like I feel like
14:43
I'm on a different level than a Connor
14:45
Ben. But um I'm not just going up to 147
14:48
to fight the guys. That's the guys cuz
14:49
it's like that's not my division. I'm
14:51
not big enough to be fighting at that
14:53
weight class. So um I go up to 140
14:55
though.
14:56
>> Did did something happen? You and Tank
14:58
sparred before?
14:58
>> Yeah, we spar I I actually helped him
15:01
get ready for his fight with Padza, his
15:03
first world title fight.
15:04
>> That's crazy. So, did did something
15:05
happen in sparring other than your
15:08
confidence in yourself and your skill
15:09
set, but does something happen in
15:11
sparring to make you even more sure that
15:13
you could beat him in a in a real fight?
15:16
>> I can't I I don't really speak on
15:18
sparring cuz sparring is sparring at the
15:20
end of the day. Like he may tell you he
15:21
will speak on the sparring just cuz he
15:23
like
15:24
>> his integrity is a little different than
15:25
mine. Mine
15:26
>> Okay,
15:26
>> I'mma keep it where it's at. But um it
15:29
was good work between both of us. He was
15:30
a hell of a fighter. I was a hell of a
15:32
young fighter coming up and I think we
15:34
pushed each other to the limits.
15:36
>> I I'm curious and I'm going to let you
15:38
jump in, horse, cuz I I I know Shakur is
15:40
a boxing scientist, you know, and when
15:43
you look at this fight, I'm I'm a Terren
15:45
Crawford fan and I I I have to tell
15:48
Canelo when he was a guest on our show,
15:50
you know, man. Hey bro, I rock with
15:52
Crawford, you know, to his face,
15:56
>> but I have no knock I love Canelo. I
15:58
think just opinion that's just my
16:00
opinion and Crawford's uh consider a
16:02
friend.
16:03
>> How do you see this fight turning out?
16:06
>> I think that this about to be one of um
16:08
Bud Crawford's best performance. I think
16:10
that Ter Terence Crawford is elite of
16:14
the elite and um I think when Canelo
16:16
fights them elite guys
16:18
>> he don't seem to come out victorious and
16:21
I feel like this going to be another
16:22
situation where it's like the guy was
16:24
just better than him.
16:26
But enlighten us because horse did bring
16:28
up a point. It's it's really like three
16:30
weight division. I mean, he fought at
16:32
154 but really once, I believe, and then
16:34
now he's going up two more.
16:36
>> That's like three weight divisions. Like
16:38
>> that doesn't matter
16:39
>> to me, right? That's what I think,
16:41
right? Cuz I done watched this guy in
16:44
the gym.
16:44
>> I don't watch him spark heavy weights to
16:46
where I done seen him crack a
16:48
heavyweight and the heavyweight all
16:50
loosey and and hurt from a shot. So, um,
16:53
for me seeing him in the gym and from
16:55
what I see, I don't think it's going to
16:57
play too much of a part. I think that,
16:59
um, once he feel the power, um, it's
17:02
going to he going to make a decision.
17:05
>> Really, once Terrence feels the pro
17:07
power, he's going to make a decision on
17:09
his strategy from that moment.
17:10
>> I feel like he going to feel like it
17:11
ain't as big as what other everybody
17:14
else make it seem to be.
17:15
>> Steve, you want to comment on that?
17:17
>> Well, look, at the end of the week,
17:18
>> cuz you got you got Canelo, right?
17:20
>> I I got Canelo. Wait, wait. doesn't win
17:22
fights. Like people look at it being
17:24
heavier doesn't win a fight,
17:25
>> right?
17:26
>> Um so but what what it what weight does
17:30
is it raises a question is how is
17:33
Crawford going to adjust if he's going
17:35
up to weight? If he decides he's going
17:36
to put on a bunch of weight, which you
17:38
know he has, how is that going to affect
17:40
him in the fight? That that's the really
17:42
the only place weight matters. Maybe a
17:44
little bit about how you take a punch
17:46
and whether you can take a punch at a
17:47
higher weight class, but it's basically
17:49
that weight. If weight won a fight then,
17:52
you know, you you'd see, you know, and
17:55
Anthony Joshua wouldn't lost to a little
17:57
pudgy, you know, Andy Ruiz.
17:59
>> Yeah. Yeah.
18:00
>> You know, weight doesn't win fight.
18:01
Muscles don't win fights.
18:02
>> You know, skills fight.
18:04
>> Skills pay the bills.
18:05
>> Yeah. But talking about weight, Shak,
18:07
you was at 130 and I remember at one
18:09
point you could
18:09
>> I was 26 first.
18:11
>> 126, but then you was at 130 and you was
18:13
like you couldn't lose a pound. You was
18:15
like, I did everything I could do to win
18:16
this pound. your body just outgrow that
18:18
weight class or just
18:20
>> Nah, that's a real good question. Like
18:22
me being realistic about the situation,
18:24
I gotta be honest on my discipline. I
18:26
kind of
18:28
started camp too late.
18:30
>> Okay.
18:30
>> And I kind of I slept on the guy that I
18:33
was fighting instead of kind of like
18:34
taking him as serious as I took
18:36
everybody else. And um I think that was
18:39
really the real reason why I didn't make
18:41
130. Um yeah, once I got there it was
18:44
very hard to get the weight off. like I
18:46
did everything I could to get the weight
18:48
off, but um if I was more disciplined
18:50
leading up,
18:51
>> I would have made that weight.
18:53
>> So So you you spend a lot of time around
18:56
Bud.
18:57
What are there one or two things that
19:00
you took away most that you learned most
19:02
from him?
19:03
>> It's the same thing that everybody said
19:05
about Floyd. Um no drinking and no
19:07
smoking. I think that's like one of the
19:09
biggest things
19:10
>> that I kind of took in from
19:13
>> dumb guys and especially Bud Crawford.
19:15
Like he's like one of the most
19:17
disciplined athletes that I done seen
19:19
and the hardest work I have ever seen in
19:21
my life. So
19:22
>> he hates to lose. I hear you say that
19:24
all the time. Like you beat him in ping
19:25
pong once or
19:26
>> Yeah, I I beat him in we we played ping
19:29
pong um in training camp. I beat him one
19:31
game but he beat me like five to six
19:34
games after that. Like um but is a beast
19:36
at everything he do. Bud got a problem
19:38
though. He don't like to lose.
19:40
>> You know, the relationship with him and
19:42
Bud is it goes deep because it's like um
19:44
I was at Shawn Porter fight when Bud
19:46
fought Shawn, right?
19:47
>> And
19:49
>> when I went home and watched the fight,
19:51
Bud is sitting in the corner round 10
19:53
and he's looking at Shakur. He hearing
19:55
everybody in his ear. He looking at
19:56
Shakur and and Shako's going, "You
19:58
down." Shakur's telling him, "Yo, you
20:00
down." Bud was like, "I'm down." And I'm
20:03
dead serious that round he finished the
20:04
fight. So that relationship y'all got
20:07
because you look at Bud all the time and
20:08
you know where he's at in the crowd when
20:09
you're fighting, right?
20:10
>> Yeah, for sure.
20:11
>> So it's like a second coach or third
20:12
coach.
20:12
>> If y'all watch my last fight, he was the
20:14
guy that was like, "Get off the rope."
20:16
Like he was screaming it the entire
20:17
time. But um truthfully, bro, like
20:21
Bud is the reason like I am who I am. I
20:24
feel like like I done been around this
20:26
dude since I was 126 pounds, a
20:29
youngster, and I got to watch him like
20:32
train and the way he was disciplined. I
20:34
I I adapted like to everything that he
20:37
did and um I appreciate that dude like I
20:39
appreciate him with all my heart.
20:41
>> Good guy, man. Steve Espinosa is here.
20:43
Shakur Stevenson is here. Uh we got
20:46
phone callers. You want to ask a
20:47
question?
20:47
>> I do want to jump in really quickly.
20:49
Shakur, you talk about relationships. Um
20:52
one of the many things I love about you
20:55
is that you're a supporter of boxing in
20:58
a way that we're kind of not used to
21:00
seeing with female boxing. And I would
21:02
hope that you would speak about your
21:04
relationship with Clarissa Shields. I've
21:06
watched you be extremely supportive of
21:08
her and the same for for her with you.
21:11
Can y'all talk can you talk about
21:12
y'all's relationship and what it means
21:14
to you to support female boxing the way
21:16
that you've been supporting?
21:17
>> Uh yeah, that's that's another thing
21:19
too. Like I done came up with like all
21:21
of these people. So like people be
21:22
online like oh he's you know late
21:25
nowadays they call it like um
21:28
I don't want to I don't want to curse
21:30
>> dick riding. They call it dick riding.
21:32
Like if you um support somebody, but if
21:35
you known this person for like
21:37
>> years and years, it's like, bro, of
21:39
course I'm a support people that I done
21:41
been around. But uh Clarissa, I feel
21:43
like we done been around each other
21:44
since the Olympic days. Before the
21:46
Olympic days, Clarissa was hyping me up.
21:49
And um she's like one of my biggest
21:51
supporters, so it's only right for me to
21:53
be the same way with
21:54
>> my biggest supporter. And um I honestly
21:57
believe
21:58
>> that's another person who I feel as
22:00
though like we have never witnessed
22:02
nobody like her.
22:03
>> Yeah.
22:04
>> She it's impossible to beat her. Like I
22:06
don't care who it I will be very
22:08
surprised if a day come that somebody
22:10
beats Clarissa. I just don't believe it.
22:12
>> Um she a hard worker. Her mentality is
22:15
the most different mentality ever.
22:17
>> Yeah.
22:18
>> Um we got Steve Espinosa here. Shakur
22:21
Stevenson is here. Real quick before I
22:23
go to these phone calls,
22:25
>> Mike Tyson, Floyd Mayweather.
22:30
>> He spit his water out. He spit his water
22:32
out.
22:32
>> Let him play his throat. So, let him
22:34
play his throat.
22:35
>> Man,
22:36
>> I saw that announcement, man.
22:38
>> If Mike looked like he looked like we
22:41
gonna judge it off of recent times,
22:43
right? Cuz we can't judge it off of when
22:45
they fought. So, recent times, Mike last
22:48
fight, Floyd last fight, Floyd looked
22:50
way better than Mike.
22:51
>> Yeah. No disrespect to Mike Tyson. Mike
22:53
is one of my I love Mike Tyson. I got a
22:55
real
22:56
>> close relationship with him too kind of.
22:58
So, um,
22:58
>> would they would they fight hard though?
23:01
Will Mike really swing hard at Floyd or
23:03
you know?
23:04
>> I think he I think he will for like the
23:06
first two rounds, but I just feel like
23:07
after them first two is where it kind of
23:09
get critical.
23:10
>> Really? Now, Steve, you once represented
23:13
Mike Tyson. You want to chime in? What
23:14
do What do you think about these fights?
23:16
I'm not sure who wants to see.
23:17
>> It's legend versus legend. So,
23:18
>> yeah. I I I I put this one in a
23:20
different category.
23:21
>> You know, the these guys are they're
23:23
retired.
23:24
>> They deserve it.
23:25
>> They're older. This This is like a
23:26
legends tour. I mean, it's like PGA does
23:29
the older golfers and they play against
23:31
each other. Like, I don't have a problem
23:32
with it. It's not taken away from
23:33
nothing else in the sport. If people
23:35
want to go see legends,
23:36
>> you know, no problem. Like that. That to
23:39
me is not the same thing as some of the
23:40
other stuff we're seeing in active
23:42
boxing. Like,
23:43
>> so what do you have a problem with? What
23:46
do like like look so so I know I know
23:49
what he's talking about because yes I
23:51
did Mayweather McGregor yes I put Jake
23:53
Paul on you know all this um look
23:56
>> you're a businessman I'm just playing
23:58
with you
23:58
>> no no no no it's a fair it's a fair
24:01
question I mean look I you know I
24:04
support Tank you know I respect what
24:05
he's trying to do in business like
24:08
weight is there for a reason and if
24:11
you're doing you know a Jake Paul fight
24:13
okay like at the end of the day
24:15
everyone's trying to earn money and make
24:17
a legacy, you know, for their family.
24:19
But at the same time, like getting in
24:21
the ring against somebody who's 60 lbs
24:23
heavier than you, like at a certain
24:25
point, that's not what what we're doing
24:28
as in boxing. That's not what boxing is
24:30
about. Now, you know, it's only one
24:32
fight, you know, and he's going to get
24:34
back to it. But but to me, that's where
24:37
I'd sort of become more of a
24:38
traditionalist.
24:39
>> What about you, Shakur? The the Jake
24:41
Paul tank fight. Nah, you I told you I
24:45
gotta keep it real though. Like Yeah.
24:46
>> Here's the thing. Like it's a I'm 50/50
24:49
on it. How I feel like I feel like with
24:50
the for me personally, if I just fought
24:54
Lamont Roach to a draw.
24:55
>> Yeah.
24:56
>> I would run that back.
24:57
>> You would run that back.
24:58
>> But as a business like guys like him
25:00
who's like around him and like as a
25:03
business decision, it would be more so
25:04
like take that back.
25:06
>> Take the bag
25:07
>> because at the end of the day, right, he
25:08
lose to Lamont Roach.
25:10
>> Uhhuh. then the Jake Paul fight not
25:13
there no more.
25:14
>> It's not gonna be as lucrative and as
25:16
big and as much money as it would be if
25:19
he um lost to Lamar Roach.
25:22
>> You and Lamont, have y'all talked about
25:24
fighting?
25:24
>> Yeah. Yeah, for sure. Several times.
25:26
>> Is that going to happen?
25:27
>> Um right now
25:30
they talking about me fighting Tio.
25:34
>> It was either Lamont or Tio.
25:36
>> That's at That's at 140, right?
25:38
>> Yeah, 140. Let's go.
25:39
>> That's a great fight right there, bro.
25:40
>> Great fight.
25:41
>> Yeah,
25:41
>> that's a great fight, man. [ __ ] Can we
25:44
get tickets? For sure. For sure. For
25:47
sure. [ __ ]
25:47
>> Wow. That's a great fight.
25:48
>> That's a coming out party.
25:49
>> Yeah. Let me come I'm going to go to
25:51
this phone lines. That's a real fight,
25:52
though. See, and you are That's a real
25:55
fight. Let's go to um let me see. Uh
25:58
Lonnie Light. Let's go to
26:01
>> Shaky. Help me get the 140 [ __ ] That's
26:04
what I'm over here thinking about.
26:05
What's your your diet plan? Let's go to
26:08
Let's go to line A line.
26:09
>> He said, "No drinking." I said, "Shit."
26:13
>> Yo, Chris on the line. He's in Vegas.
26:15
Chris, what's up, man?
26:15
>> What up, Chris?
26:16
>> Hey, Chris.
26:17
>> What's happening? What's happening?
26:18
What's happening? What's happening?
26:19
>> Well, go ahead real quick. Real quick
26:20
question. Go for it.
26:22
>> Yeah. Shakur, man. I agree with a lot of
26:24
things you said about fighters should
26:25
fight Fighters, right?
26:26
>> What do you think about fighters
26:28
unifying belts?
26:29
>> You said, "What do I think about what?
26:31
>> Fighters unifying belts."
26:32
>> Fighters unifying belts.
26:34
I mean, I feel like I I like the belts
26:37
and stuff, but I feel like it's kind of
26:38
getting watered down. Like I feel like
26:40
like he explained earlier, like um it's
26:43
about the business. So, if like certain
26:45
guys like certain guys, they going to be
26:47
in position to fight for a belt. So, um
26:50
for me, I I don't really take the belt
26:52
organizations that much serious um in
26:54
that aspect.
26:56
>> Thanks for your call, Chris. Chris,
26:57
you're a super citizen, man.
26:58
>> Let's go to line five. We got our Bridge
27:00
business ambassador all the way from
27:01
Louisiana, Chew. What up, man? What up,
27:03
Drew?
27:04
>> Drew, what's up,
27:05
>> family? What up? What's up, man? Go for
27:07
You got two legends right here, man.
27:10
>> Well, y'all took a lot of the questions
27:12
I had for him. Uh I if I could sway real
27:15
quick, I'll touch on uh with Steve. He
27:18
said uh Canelo took the um uh Lara
27:22
fight. I actually thought he lost that
27:23
fight. Uh, but for Shakur, I look at
27:26
you, Tank, um, Devin, Tio, Ryan as the
27:33
the cream of the crop when y'all were
27:35
all around the 135 uh, pound range. Of
27:39
those, I think Tank will give you the
27:41
toughest because of his power. Um, who
27:44
do you think would give you the toughest
27:45
fight out of those guys?
27:47
>> You you never know until you get in the
27:49
ring with them. So, um, it's hard to
27:51
really tell you. I think that um Tank
27:53
and Tio will be like top of the line for
27:55
me cuz I know that they both um on point
27:58
come fight night. So I think um both of
28:00
them will be kind of top of the line.
28:03
>> Yeah.
28:04
>> All right. Okay. Hey man, I appreciate
28:06
you, Chu. All right. Um thank you for
28:08
the for the bets. All right.
28:12
>> Bet advice.
28:13
>> Talk to you later, Ch. You're a super
28:14
citizen.
28:15
>> Way in the morning. Love you, Chu.
28:16
>> Shakur, what's next for you? Is it
28:18
anything on schedule?
28:19
>> N ain't scheduled yet. But like I said,
28:21
we in talks about Tio, so um long as
28:23
they all make it make sense, we all
28:25
going to make sure it happen.
28:27
>> Steve, how you see that Tio fight with
28:28
Shakur?
28:30
>> Look, Shakur is a lot more consistent. I
28:32
mean, one thing you you've seen with
28:34
Tio, he's looked really good, some
28:35
fights, really athletic, and then some
28:37
fights, you know, he's he just hasn't
28:40
looked like the same guy. And I don't
28:41
know if it's a discipline issue or
28:42
whether it's a a style matchup, but on
28:45
consistency, Shakur is a lot more
28:47
consistent. You know what you're going
28:48
to get out of out of every fight. What
28:50
are your thoughts, sores?
28:52
>> The five pounds. Like, how comfortable
28:54
are you moving up like at 14? It' be
28:56
your first fight at 140, right? If you
28:58
go against Tio. Yeah. That five pound
28:59
difference, how how that's how it's
29:01
going to make you feel?
29:02
>> For me, I feel like it ain't going to be
29:04
no problem.
29:05
>> Um I I feel like skills pay the bill.
29:07
So, at the end of the day, whether I was
29:08
fighting at 140 or 135, my skills is
29:12
going to um take over that night. And I
29:14
think it's going to be something he
29:15
never seen before.
29:16
>> But no, no. Tio is with top rank still
29:19
or not?
29:20
>> I think so. I'm not sure, but I think
29:22
so.
29:23
>> So, you know, we we got to get back to
29:25
it because, you know, now I'm gonna
29:26
press you on something you said because
29:29
at the end of the day, you say, "Look,
29:30
when fighters say we're going to fight,
29:32
they need to fight."
29:33
>> Yeah.
29:33
>> So, you can't let nothing get in the
29:35
way, right?
29:36
>> No, not at all.
29:37
>> Because he wants it, you want it. He's
29:38
he said it.
29:39
>> Here's where where it's definitely like
29:41
it got to happen. He just worked with
29:44
Turkey his last fight when he fought
29:45
Arnold Barbosa, right? I just work with
29:47
Turkey. My last fight when I fought as
29:48
Zapa. So if we both work with Turkey,
29:51
>> I mean clear as day. It got to happen,
29:54
>> right? Okay.
29:55
>> Give these guys a round of applause,
29:56
man. This is amazing.
29:58
>> That's so great.
29:58
>> This is entertaining.
30:00
>> So Shakur, what's your prediction? Round
30:05
way of winning. I know you team
30:07
Crawford, right?
30:08
>> How do you think he's going to win?
30:10
>> Bud Crawford unanimous decision.
30:12
>> Okay. Okay, cool. Okay, I placed
30:14
>> Clear, too. Clear.
30:15
>> I placed that bet. I play.
30:16
>> All right. Uh, clear clear unanimous
30:19
decision.
30:19
>> Clear.
30:20
>> Steve, I I think it's going to be a
30:22
close fight. I think it's going to be
30:23
very technical. Um, I think the toughest
30:27
thing with with Bud is his um his
30:31
distance. And it's something that people
30:33
don't really always appreciate is how
30:36
you control distance. You can't hit
30:38
somebody if they're not in punching
30:40
range. And that's that's I think what he
30:42
does better than anything else. That's
30:44
his biggest tool is getting in and out
30:46
of range. So, it's tough to hit him.
30:47
It's going to be a really close fight. I
30:48
got Canelo decision.
30:50
>> I feel like I feel like you got two
30:52
fighters, right? One fighter as they go
30:55
through the rounds, they going like
30:57
this.
30:58
>> And you got one fighter that go through
30:59
the rounds and they go right here and
31:01
they stay right here.
31:03
>> And I think Canelo stays right here and
31:05
Bud
31:06
>> rises.
31:07
>> I love it, man. Hey, this is boxing in
31:10
its truest form for Steve Espinosa.
31:12
Beautiful.
31:13
>> Give it up for the champ Stevenson.
31:16
[Applause]
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