Oscar De La Hoya Indirectly Contrasts Shakur Stevenson & Gervonta Davis’ Star power
Oscar De La Hoya says Shakur Stevenson is a champion but not a draw, while Gervonta Davis is a draw.
Stevenson is an undefeated champion, but he doesn’t draw a ton of eyeballs, as many have been critical of his style as his fights tend to go the distance.
“Beautiful style. Great technique. Has the punching power. Has the chin. But he needs the confidence to fight,” De La Hoya told Hall of Fame football player turned commentator Shannon Sharpe in a recent episode of Club Shay Shay (via BoxingScene). “He has to believe in himself to put on a good show and sell seats. That’s the problem he’s having. He’s not selling seats. He’s a great fighter. He’s demanding all this money, and fights are not being made.”
Stevenson is undefeated but is a free agent after fighting out his promotional deal. De La Hoya also believes there are much bigger fighters out there who have lost, showing that the way you fight is more important than your record.
“There’s a stigma in boxing where, if you lose your ‘0,’ your career’s over. No, it’s not,” De La Hoya said. “It depends how you fight. You can be an undefeated fighter and not be a fighter, and not be an attraction, and not be a guy who everybody wants to see. It all depends on how you perform, and you’re as good as your last fight in boxing. Jaime Munguia and Canelo [Alvarez], Jaime lost. His comeback fight, if he chooses the right opponent and looks like a million dollars and he knocks him out, then guess what: He’s back, he’s probably even bigger than when he fought Canelo. It’s all strategy. It’s all how you perform inside the ring.”
With that, De La Hoya pointed to Gervonta Davis as someone who is a big star.
“One thing about Tank, which I love – and this is why he’s going to be great – [is] because he fights. And when you fight, you’re gonna get hit, and you might get knocked out,” De La Hoya said. “That’s the beauty about Tank, that he fights. That’s why they love him. Tank Davis is a star.”
