Shakur Stevenson‘s retirement came out of the blue when he tweeted the news to let fans know that he would not be engaging in any more professional fights. Boasting an unblemished record of 21 consecutive victories, with 10 knockouts under his belt, the New Jersey native recently clinched the WBC world lightweight title through a unanimous decision win against Edwin De Los Santos. Could his family have played a part in his decision?
The boxer has made clear on many occasions what really matters to him. It is not the fame or money or fans but his fiancée and his daughter. Stevenson has been in a relationship with Young Lyric since December 2020 and they even announced the pregnancy in October 2021. ‘Sugar’ Shakur got candid about the thought behind opting for retirement and Curmel Moton has nodded in agreement.
Shakur Stevenson knows his priorities
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Moton shared a clip of Stevenson on FightHype where he was speaking about his family and how he puts them above anything. “It’s just mad lame a** s*t so I was like f*k em. They gon be there one day, they gonna hate me the next. It is what it is. I keep grinding and stay focused. F*ck everybody else. Enjoy my family.” he said in the short video. Stevenson, instead of pleasing the ones he knew were temporary, decided to spend more time with the ones who actually matter.
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) February 4, 2024
Moton has only fought two professional bouts which he won by knockouts. Even then, the pressure of the professional boxing world has gotten to him. At just the age of 17, he could resonate with ‘Sugar’s words. Stevenson reposted Moton’s post with a ‘handshake’ emoji. However, it might be possible that Stevenson is reconsidering his retirement decision.
Will Ryan Garcia bring ‘Sugar’ out of retirement?
In a recent exchange, Tim Bradley took verbal shots at Garcia, calling him a “clown” and suggesting he belonged in a “Zoo.” Ryan Garcia responded with a barrage of tweets, indicating Bradley’s lingering resentment from Garcia’s criticism of his commentary during the Stevenson fight. Stevenson, catching wind of the spat, warned Garcia not to mention him without discussing a potential fight. Garcia, questioning Stevenson’s retired status, received a surprising response.
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Stevenson, in a now-deleted tweet, expressed a willingness to come out of retirement for a match against Garcia. However, after the tweets circulated, Stevenson acknowledged the pettiness and jokingly mentioned returning from retirement. Despite Stevenson’s interpretation, Garcia had a message for him, adding an intriguing layer to the social media drama.
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With Moton just starting his career, such an approach might have him stop midway. However, do you think Stevenson’s point is justified? Let us know in the comments below.
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