Paulie Malignaggi is preparing for a potentially interesting battle for the vacant WBC lightweight title against Edwin de los Santos on November 16th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. However, Malignaggi believes there will be pressure on Shakur Stevenson to deliver an entertaining fight.
Stevenson, who is vying for stardom in the 135-pound division alongside Gervonta Davis, cannot afford to make the fight dull, as some of his matches in recent years have been.
In his last bout against Shuichiro Yoshino in April, Stevenson put on an entertaining display, although Yoshino was not considered an elite-level opponent. Malignaggi suggests that Yoshino may have been ranked higher in the WBC than he deserved.
Throughout his amateur and professional career, Stevenson has developed a defensive fighting style, which makes it challenging to make a match against De Los Santos boring—referring to it as “Guillermo Rigondeaux mode.”
Bob Arum, the head of Top Rank, appears to be more forgiving of Stevenson’s fighting style compared to Rigondeaux’s. However, there are differences between the two fighters. Rigondeaux was more exciting to watch due to his risk-taking approach, while Stevenson relies more on his defensive skills.
Rigondeaux also had more power in his punches and would stand toe-to-toe with opponents, trying to knock them out. His ability to finish fights likely contributed to Arum finding him more interesting to watch.
On the other hand, Stevenson’s style is similar to Rigondeaux’s but with a greater focus on defense. He uses a pullback technique to evade attacks and lacks knockout power.
To achieve stardom similar to Tank Davis, Stevenson will need to adopt a more aggressive approach, engaging in close-quarters combat with opponents rather than relying solely on his traditional defensive tactics.
“I think this is one of those dangerous fights where people don’t know much about the opponent, but the opponent is better than people imagine,” said Paulie Malignaggi about Edwin de los Santos fighting Shakur Stevenson for the vacant WBC lightweight title.
“De Los Santos is a southpaw and a puncher, so we knew this was going to be a risk. This is Shakur Stevenson’s third weight class. When a guy in this weight class who can punch comes at you, you have to be a little bit more aggressive. You might be worried.”
The upcoming fight could be risky for Stevenson if he decides to trade punches with De Los Santos instead of playing it safe, which is what many boxing fans expect from him.
Malignaggi also praised Stevenson’s ability to control the distance in a fight. He believes this is one of the boxer’s greatest strengths, saying, “He’s the kind of guy that’s right in front of you, but you still can’t hit him. I think we can all agree that Shakur Stevenson is that guy in this weight class. I think he’s the future star of boxing as a whole.”
However, Malignaggi’s praise is based on speculation, as Stevenson has yet to defeat any significant opponents besides Shuichiro Yoshino, who was considered one of the least talented lightweights.
In order for Stevenson to establish himself as the top fighter in the 135-pound division, he must defeat the following boxers:
– Gervonta Davis
– Raymond Muratara
– Frank Martin
– Vasyl Lomachenko
– George Kambosos Jr.
– Keyshawn Davis
– William Zepeda
If Stevenson fails to beat all of these fighters, he cannot be considered the top lightweight in the division.
“But that’s also how he has to win fights like this,” Malignaggi explained. “It’s about his approach. He’s competing for stardom with Gervonta Davis, who has already achieved that stardom in his own way.
“Shakur is really, really good. He doesn’t have that punching power because he relies too much on shutting opponents down, which can make fights boring for the average viewer.”
Regarding de los Santos, Malignaggi questioned how one can defeat a dangerous yet relatively unknown fighter like him.
“Shakur has to look good in this fight, but it’s not an easy fight to make him look good,” Malignaggi noted.
Chris Algieri also weighed in on the matchup, saying, “We wanted Frank Martin, we wanted Tank Davis, and this is their replacement. It’s not a bad match, to be honest. Based on Shakur’s recent performances, it will be a good test to see what he can do with it.”
“Let’s see how far Shakur has grown and matured because he’s starting to knock guys down. If he can keep that momentum going, that would be really great.”
Algieri also suggested that Stevenson may adopt a more cautious approach, utilizing his jab and movement to dominate de los Santos, who is a big puncher and a southpaw.
Former boxer Tim Bradley shared similar thoughts, considering the fight to be a barometer for Stevenson. Bradley questioned why a clash between Tank Davis and Shakur Stevenson couldn’t be arranged, citing economics as a possible reason. He believes that de los Santos, a PBC fighter, poses a significant challenge to Stevenson.
There has been recent evidence of Stevenson’s willingness to engage opponents in close quarters, which exposes him to more potential hits. Bradley emphasized that if Stevenson stands and trades punches with de los Santos, it could be very difficult for him and even dangerous.
Overall, the outcome of the fight will depend on the approach Stevenson takes. If he uses his footwork to maintain distance and stay on the outside, he may have an easier time. However, if he chooses to stand and exchange punches with de los Santos, it could prove to be a tough battle.
