Troubled? Frustrated? The fans are not sure what to make of the retirement tantrum that Shakur Stevenson threw at them. He took the boxing world by surprise when he decided to hang up his boxing gloves at just 26. Still, years removed from his prime, the American boxer has set his heart on not living a boxer’s life anymore. But does it really mean the end of the road for the WBC lightweight champion? Have we seen the last of his flashes of brilliance in the ring already?

‘Sugar’s latest announcement has sent the boxing world into a frenzy despite moving up to 135 pounds and clinching the world title. If Tyson Fury and Teofimo Lopez‘s flirtation with the idea is any indication, the retirement bubble won’t last for long. While resorting to retirement is nothing new, this is not a marketing move, unlike recent trends. Life has been hard for Stevenson since claiming the gold strap, as he feels wronged by boxers and promoters.

Shakur Stevenson: Troubled by circumstances

The fact remains that Shakur Stevenson cannot find a potential suitor to fight him next. He has expressed his eagerness to fight “bigger fights” and has been pursuing fights against the likes of Vasyl Lomachenko for a long time. But the 2016 Olympic medalist has grown weary of “games and lies.”

The last straw came when his preferred opponent, Emanuel Navarrete, picked Denys Berinchyk for the vacant WBO title instead of agreeing to fight him. The Newark native has lost respect for boxing and called it “weak” in his retirement announcement. He feels disheartened by certain fighters avoiding him and continuing to do so.

While Stevenson’s retirement comes in a fit of rage and frustration, he has failed to capture an average fan’s frustration. Also, his not-so-fan-friendly fighting style doesn’t work in his favor. He stands among the low-rug PPV makers, which is the factor that distracts potential opponents. Therefore, fighters would prefer other boxers who have a more explorative style than the technically gifted Stevenson. However, a shock announcement is a typical marketing move, something that Lopez and ‘The Gypsy King’ have pulled off successfully.

Walking the same path as Teofimo Lopez and Tyson Fury

Teofimo Lopez’s life beyond boxing lasted only a month, as he backtracked on his earlier claims of relinquishing the WBO super lightweight title. He bickered about how he was paid only a million when ESPN racked up hundreds. But when asked to give up his strap, the champion decided to cling on to it.

The charm of the championship is hard to give up, as it puts you in power while negotiating. The same case applies to Stevenson, who would find it hard to hand over the lightweight title he earned very recently against Edwin De Los Santos. Tyson Fury’s case also adds another layer of intrigue to the wave of retirements.

Watch This Story: Devin Haney Fires Shots At Shakur Stevenson After Edwin De Los Santos Disappointing Win

The British heavyweight champion has toyed with the idea of retirement, especially when not matched with an opponent he desired. Later on, he couldn’t resist the allure of boxing, as he failed to stay away from the square circle. That’s the same reason Floyd Mayweather continued putting up exhibition bouts, despite quitting it professionally in 2017. Stevenson, who is only 26, might find it even harder to shove away his boxing gloves and not wonder, a decade later, what could have happened to his booming career.

Doing what Floyd Mayweather did

The southpaw boxer will surely make a comeback, and we will soon find his name thrown along with the winner of Lomachenko vs. George Kambosos Jr., Gervonta Davis, and others. Staying relevant, winning, bolstering the resume, and then building the narrative is the way ahead for Stevenson.

The big names will come along if he stays at the top of his game. Mayweather kept on winning and assumed the ‘Money’ persona during the latter phase of his career. The former boxer was never an exciting fighter. But he molded himself into a PPV superstar. A similar path lies ahead for Stevenson. He has a decade’s worth of high-voltage fights and lucrative purses left in him. If he announces his next fight within a month, you probably should have seen this coming.

Read More: Keyshawn Davis Reveals the No. 1 Reason 90% of Boxers Go Broke as He Makes His Case for Why Fighting His “Brother” Shakur Stevenson Doesn’t Make Sense

What do you make of this sudden announcement by Shakur Stevenson? Do you believe ‘Sugar’ will return to the boxing ring soon? Let us know in the comments below.