WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson met with 135lb prospect Abdullah Mason in the locker room on Friday night, November 8th to impart pearls of wisdom after surviving a scare in his fight against the veteran Yohan Vasquez at the Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. .
Following Shakur’s advice could limit Abdullah Mason’s star power, making him one of the top safety fighters who will never be popular. Shakur’s style, which is a return to Mayweather’s old boring stylehe does not belong in the modern era of boxing.
That’s why fans keep booing Shakur out of the stands; he does not belong. If there was a working time machine, Shakur should be sent back to 1995, when the fans were more tolerant of his fighting style because, in this era of competition from other sports, he does not belong.
Mason, 20, was dropped twice by Vasquez in the first round but came back to knock down in round two.
Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs), known for his defense, told Mason he doesn’t need to fight aggressively in the first two or three rounds because every fight is dangerous early on. He wants Mason to use his 5’9″ height standing on the outside instead of putting himself at risk to fight close, which is why he was dropped twice by Vasquez.
Mason threw uppercuts and was dropped twice with left hooks by the powerful Vaszuez (26-6, 21 KOs). He put himself at risk by fighting Vasquez up close so he could score a highlight reel takedown, which he eventually did in the second round.
Shakur gives Mason career advice
Abdullah Mason: “We’re here, and we’re going to the next one. We all want it.”
Shakur Stevenson: “I mean something that will get you to the elite,” Stevenson said Top Rank Boxing ia conversation with Abdullah Mason. “Every fighter in the first round is dangerous. So, with your skills and everything you have, you can keep guys out in the first, because you can fight outside and inside.
“You fight in both periods, but for those first three rounds, you still want to be aware defensively and keep guys out. So, ‘He’s gone a little bit, and now we’ve got to go to him and get him out of there.’
“You’ve got to take everybody out of there with your skills. You just have to realize quickly, everybody’s dangerous. You don’t want to go out there trading and give up your height. Keep the guy at bay. So, do three, four or five .Okay, you’re slowing down. You’re a hell of a fight, bro.
“You’ll be one of the greats, I promise. Just make sure the IQ is there with the skills.”
Why Mason should not be listening to Shakur
The problem with Mason changing his style to become more defensive like Shakur is that it would take a lot of the excitement out of his style, making him just one of the ordinary fighters in the lightweight division rather than standing out like now
To be a star in the modern era of boxing, fighters have to fight in a brave way, risking being cut to get the knockout. If Mason changes his fighting style If Mason fights like Shakur, he will be boring to watch and can never become a star. Stevenson is one of the dullest fighters in the sport, and it seems he wants to change Abdullah’s style to be a copy of his boring approach to fights.
Don’t be friends with Shakur
It’s a bad idea for Mason to change the way he fights. Also, he shouldn’t be friendly with Shakur because he might end up needing to fight. The last thing fans need to hear is Mason saying he can’t fight Shakur because he’s friends with him. That’s Keyshawn’s argument for not fighting Shakur.
