Just when we fans were looking forward to Shakur Stevenson having his first real test at 135 pounds, this against fellow unbeaten lefty Frank Martin, comes the stunning news that the fight is now OFF. The fight, that would have contested the vacant WBC lightweight title (vacated by Devin Haney) was all agreed for November 16 in Las Vegas.
But now, just moments ago, the man with all the breaking news, Mike Coppinger, wrote how the fight is a no-go, Martin and his team having apparently had a change of heart.
“Top Rank sent the contract over to Martin’s side and the following day was told that he was no longer interested in the fight, sources said,” Coppinger’s tweet reads.
This one really is a head-shaker.
Is Martin, as gifted and as talented as he is, “scared” to pit his skills against Stevenson and his skills? Until we get further info, this is what fans will be led to think, and who could blame them? Stevenson has been saying for some time now that he is the best fighter in the world, that he wants all the gold at numerous weights, and Martin, 18-0(12) was widely expected to test Stevenson along the way, maybe even beat him and knock him back a few spaces.
But now the fight is off. There may be more to it than Martin simply not wanting the fight any more – and we must wait and see what Martin and his team have to say on the matter – but we fans will be left feeling down due to this news.
If the Stevenson-Martin fight is really and absolutely off for good, who will Stevenson fight next? Who knows? Is Stevenson, 20-0(10) so good the fellow elites are looking to avoid him? Has Martin set a trend in this regard?
What do YOU guys think about this completely out of the blue, bad, bad news?