“These Boxers Lucky Dana White Not in Charge”: Shakur Stevenson vs. Frank Martin WBC Title Fight Getting Canceled Leaves Fans Furious

Shakur Stevenson is one of the greatest modern-day fighters to ever step into the boxing ring. At just the age of 26, he holds the WBO Featherweight title, WBC super Featherweight title, and The Ring Magazine title under his belt. There is no question he is a top contender for the WBC Lightweight title. But opponents seem to keep dropping out from a fight against Stevenson. Earlier, Devin Haney dropped out of the title fight to pursue the WBC junior Welterweight title against Regis Prograis. And now Frank Martin, what went wrong?

Stevenson has been clear about a shot at the title fight from the beginning. He has stated his desire to become a three-division title holder. But his final step in achieving that dream met with an obstacle when Martin rejected the contract sent to him by Top Rank. In a recent report from Mike Coppinger, Martin stated he is no longer interested in the fight. It’s also worth noting that the fight would have been Martin’s first-ever title shot. With this recent development, the boxing community is left with anger, to say the least. 

Canceled Shakur Stevenson vs. Frank Martin fight under fire

In a recent post on X (former Twitter), ESPN Ringside broke the news about the cancelation. And fans were quick to express their frustration about the whole situation. Soon, allegations, questions, and annoyed remarks took over the comment section.

One user tried to defend Martin from the accusations of avoiding the fight. The user raised his concerns about the contract. He speculated that the contract might not be in Martin’s favor, which resulted in Martin rejecting it. 

In contrast to the previous comment, this user claimed Derrick James, Martin’s coach, is trying to avoid another loss in 2023. According to the user, the reason behind the cancellation is entirely Martin’s fault.

Also Read: Bob Arum Hints at “Major” Plans in Store For Shakur Stevenson

Another user claimed no one wants to fight against Shakur because he is better than everyone in the division. But people not as well versed with the boxing scene keep saying Shakur has not fought anyone great. 

One user compared boxing’s payout to UFC’s, where the pay is infamous for being low. The user stated that the boxers are lucky because someone like Dana White is not in charge. He also claimed boxers are infamous for avoiding fights they can’t win. 

The next user describes how the promotional company’s hunger for money harms boxing. But then he points out that sometimes it’s the boxer himself who gets in the way. The user finished by saying no one wants to take the fight against Shakur, fearing a loss. 

Regardless of the reason behind the cancelation, fans are quite disappointed with it. The only thing left to do is wait and see who Stevenson faces next for the title shot. Why do you think Martin rejected the contract? And who would Stevenson fight next?

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