“They Want to Be at the Top Like Me”: Shakur Stevenson Opens Up About His Deal With Shaquille O’ Neal Partnered $2.4 Billion Worth Company

On Thursday, Shakur Stevenson took another step in his pursuit to enter the big boys league. The former two-division champion has partnered with Reebok as a sponsored athlete. Reportedly, the Newark-born southpaw’s initials will be stitched on the back of a bespoke pair of mid-cut shoes. Not only that, the ones that the boxer will wear on November 16 will boast a special hue. Incidentally, as he shared later, one of the persons responsible for the development turned out to be fellow Newark-native basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal.

In October, the $2.4 billion company appointed O’Neal and Allen Iverson as the President and Vice President respectively, of Reebok Basketball. A reporter from Overtimeboxing, which shared footage of their interview through its Instagram handle, asked Stevenson whether, during the fight night, he was planning to wear any particular shoe line. The former two-division champion replied, “Oh yeah, we’re [going to] see some nice shoes for sure. The colorway is [going to] throw [you] all off. I can’t wait to show the world what I’m rockin’. They’re the underdogs, just like me. They want to be at the top, just like me. Honestly, I think that we are made for each other.”

As could be expected, the post, despite having over ten thousand likes, drew a mixed bag of reactions. A few sounded critical. However, there were others who felt it was well deserved and congratulated the young boxer.

A game-changing move for Shakur Stevenson

The following user appeared unhappy. They believe that Shakur Stevenson is dabbling in almost everything. Except for boxing, where he should have been focused: “Doing everything but fighting.” Then the next user sounded confused. They asked against whom exactly Stevenson was supposed to go: “Who df he supposed to fight anyway?” Thankfully, the next fan appeared to know a little about Stevenson’s upcoming opponent. But still, they got the name incorrectly. Urging the former two-division champion to wind up Edwin De Los Santos‘ business quickly, the fan said, “He better put de la Santos back on his boat [on] November 16.”

Shakur Stevenson mentioned that he was an underdog. So the following user disagreed with the notion: “Bro is definitely not an underdog.” However, the following fan appeared most enthusiastic about the entire deal thing. Urging Stevenson to become the brand’s ambassador, they mentioned how boxing has become so stagnant. A few grizzled veterans are keeping it afloat by selling tickets for what are effectively exhibitions.

They also highlighted how there’s a lack of sports brands in the boxing industry: “That’s what’s up, young man! Next move: become the face of the brand. Boxing is stale, and a lot of the old heads are still trying to make money selling what are essentially exhibition fights. Boxing and boxers need more sports brands.”

A win over Edwin De Los Santos will not only make Shakur Stevenson the WBC Lightweight title holder but also a three-division champion.

Stevenson’s Dominican challenge

The fight on November 16 came after WBC ordered the mandatory challenger and the next highest-ranking available contender to slug it out for the belt left vacant by Devin Haney, until then the undisputed champion. Now a ‘champion in recess’ Haney moved to 140 pounds to pursue Regis Prograis for his WBC Light Welterweight belt. Initially, Frank Martin came up to face Stevenson. But he backed out. Later reports came about him being unhappy with the split.

Thus, came in from the Dominican Republic, Edwin De Los Santos. Per the available reports, it would do good for the American boxer not to treat his Dominican counterpart as a man of straw. With nearly 88% of his wins secured through knockouts, the Santo Domingo-born southpaw packs a punch.

Read More: “Hopefully She Understands”: Days After Announcing His Next Fight, Shakur Stevenson Pens Heartfelt Message About Missing His Daughter While Training

Do you think Edwin De Los Santos would be able to score an upset win over Shakur Stevenson when they meet? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

Watch This Story: All You Need to Know About Shakur Stevenson’s New Opponent and Fight Details