Top Promoter to Fight for Shakur

Golden Boy Promotions founder and head Oscar De La Hoya has declared that he is ready to fight for a contract with WBC lightweight champion (up to 61.2 kg) Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs).

"I believe there's an opportunity. It all depends on what I offer him and which fighters I have. I have a promotion plan. Shakur needs the right names. He needs William Zepeda. He's a huge talent. I would rank him in the top three fighters in the world. Plus, he's still young.

I'm not sure what his market value is, and that complicates negotiations. It's also difficult for Top Rank and Bob Arum to assess Shakur's value. It doesn't help that Shakur tells the world, 'I don't fight for the people. I fight for myself.'

You have to fight for the fans. Fans pay you. Fans buy tickets and pay for views.

Despite everything, I think Shakur is one of the best fighters. If we find a consensus and see the value in our cooperation, we'll come up with something," said Oscar.

The boxer has already commented on De La Hoya's words on Twitter:

"Oscar has thrown his hat in the ring too. The next few weeks will be interesting. I'm on the path to big fights at any cost," Stevenson wrote.

It's worth noting that Shakur declined a new offer from Top Rank, and his previous contract ended on July 7, making the American a free agent. In addition to the Golden Boy option, Stevenson has offers from Floyd Mayweather's Mayweather Promotions and Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing.