It is unfortunate for the sport of boxing that so many athletes are getting popped for using steroids. In less than a year, the undisputed super featherweight champion Alycia Baumgardner, the lightweight sensation Ryan Garcia, and former British champion Dillian Whyte have all been caught for consuming banned substances. Although Whyte and Baumgardner have been absolved of any blame by the respective authorities, Garcia was handed a one-year suspension by the New York State Athletic Commission for testing positive for the banned substance Ostarine. Hence, he continues to be vilified by the boxing community at large.

Lately, responding to criticism from Garcia for his dull performance against the Armenian-born German boxer Artem Harutyunyan, the lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson targeted Garcia’s Achilles heel. “Ryan Osterine Garcia stop cheating your way thru life, Your on a 1 year vacation be happy the higher powers didn’t punish u for longer cause u deserve a 5 year suspension,” the 27-year-old Newark native wrote on X. Interestingly, the comment was made by Stevenson before the Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) came back with their findings on the boxer’s now-concluded fight against Harutyunyan. Now, the athletic commission has released the results!

Unfortunately for Garcia, the VADA tests came back negative for Stevenson as well as Harutyunyan, confirming that the fight was a clean one. The decision robbed Garcia of the opportunity to play the ultimate reverse-uno on the WBC lightweight champion. “Congratulations to @ShakurStevenson & Artem Harutyunyan for successfully completing @Vada_Testing through their July 6 2024 bout,” VADA informed the duo on X.

However, Stevenson’s first WBC lightweight title defense against Harutyunyan, despite being clean, was another bore fest. Even though it was a technical masterclass, Stevenson’s reluctance to let his hands go in the fight has drawn criticism from his peers and boxing fans alike.

Shakur Stevenson losing the PPV appeal!

Stevenson has now delivered not one but two back-to-back boring performances. His fight against Edwin De Los Santos late last year was labeled a snoozefest. In a lackluster performance, Stevenson threw only 209 punches and landed sixty-five. He followed it up with another dismal performance against Artem earlier this month which made even his hometown crowd turn on him.

Apart from the loud boos, several spectators left the venue midway through the fight. Stevenson acknowledged that he needed to cut the distance between himself and his opponent, to make his bouts more exciting. The elite defensive boxer has to work on his offensive tactics, otherwise, he is in for a brutal rejection from fans, eventually hurting his bottom line. The onus is upon the Newark native to change the narrative and give the boxing community a reason to tune into his fights.

Furthermore, Stevenson is currently a free agent. His options seem to be dwindling as Golden Boy Promotions and Top Rank have already dropped out of the race to sign him. “Shakur Stevenson, you’re a free agent, you’re a great fighter and a great talent, but not for me. I believe that when somebody says you’re not fighting for the public, I cannot promote,” Oscar De La Hoya said. Additionally, Top Rank has also decided to stop pursuing their former fighter as he has already rejected their $18 million six-fight extension contract.

Which promotion will Shakur Stevenson sign with eventually? Furthermore, will Shakur Stevenson be able to implement a change in his boxing style for his upcoming fight? Let us know in the comment section below.