Shakur Stevenson’s Performance Against Cordina Is Crucial For Securing Future High-profile Bouts

His Promoter Eddie Hearn's Strategy May Push for an Earlier Davis Matchup to Protect His Investment

Shakur Stevenson Faces Pressure in PPV Headliner Against Joe Cordina /

By Moses Ochieng

Shakur Stevenson needs to deliver an outstanding performance in his PPV headliner against Joe Cordina on October 12th at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh. As the WBC lightweight champion (22-0, 10 KOs) makes his first headline appearance at 27, there's significant pressure on him to be both entertaining and to drive strong pay-per-view sales.

 This fight might not be ideal for generating the buzz needed for a potential unification bout next year against Baltimore’s Gervonta Davis. Stevenson’s team would have been better served matching him against #1 WBC contender William Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) rather than Cordina (17-1, 9 KOs), who is coming off an eighth-round knockout loss to Anthony Cacace on May 18th.

Shakur Stevenson's current standing is too low for a fight with Gervonta Davis to be realistic. Stevenson has recently struggled with uninspiring performances against Artem Hartuyunyan and Edwin De Los Santos. To make a bout with Davis a viable option, Stevenson needs to secure impressive wins over Joe Cordina and William Zepeda. If his upcoming fight against Cordina on October 12th doesn't go well, it could jeopardize his chances of securing a favorable deal for a unification bout with Davis in 2025. Stevenson and his new promoter, Eddie Hearn, are aiming for that fight next year, but they may not get the desired purse split if Stevenson’s PPV performance against Cordina falls short, which many expect it might.

“I know we’ve got a two-fight plan with Shakur. Hopefully, he extends. Joe Cordina [on October 12th], and Zepeda in February. I think Tank against Shakur is one of the biggest fights in the sport. I think Tank is so exceptional that it’s going to take someone as good as Shakur to give him a real fight, and I love that fight,” Hearn stated in media reports.

Hearn might push aggressively to arrange the Tank vs. Shakur fight before Stevenson faces Zepeda, as he wants to avoid the risk of losing to the Mexican fighter. Without the lucrative fight against Tank Davis, the investment Hearn made in Stevenson could be wasted.