Chris Algieri on Shakur Stevenson and Zuffa pay
Zuffa Boxing may have handed itself a problem with the money it put on the table. Chris Algieri's read is that the reported $15 million Conor Benn got for facing Regis Prograis probably set the bar in Shakur Stevenson's head for a Jose "Rayo" Valenzuela fight. And honestly, the math tracks: if BENN is worth that much, Shakur is going to want more, since he sees that matchup as the bigger and riskier one. That's the precedent Zuffa created, per Algieri, and it's a hard one to walk back. Stevenson is out of the promotion either way. So was he asking for too much, or did Zuffa box itself in and leave him no deal worth taking? That's the part I keep circling. #ChrisAlgieri
Transcript (en)
You gave Conor Benn $15 million to fight Regis Progre. If I'm Shakur Stevenson, that's a slap in the face, dude. This guy is not, he's light years, light years beyond you, and you're going to offer me half the money to fight Ryle, who's actually more dangerous than Progre, right? Ryle's a very tough fighter. Obviously, I've seen Shakur winning that fight, but he's still a good puncher, and he's got good skills. He's super tough, and he doesn't have the name. It's a risky fight. And I can't knock Shakur for that, but that's Zufa shooting himself in the foot. You're showing your cards too early. You're making this big thing, 15 million, 15 million, 15 million. Shakur looks at that like, you're paying him 15 million. Give me 50. Because that's the realistic, that's where, Robert, you said like, you're not worth that. The market doesn't account for that. That's the reason he thinks that though.
