The Truth Behind Top Rank’s Ratings Drop: Was Shakur Stevenson the Cause or a Coincidence?

Shakur Stevenson claims that his leaving Top Rank resulted in a decline in viewership for their events on ESPN. He believes that his departure from the company played a part in ESPN dropping Top Rank, choosing not to renew their contract after it recently expired.

Shakur points out that his fights on ESPN have averaged near an “average of 1 million.” After he left Top Rank, their ratings “ain’t been the same.”

The Truth About ESPN Viewership

Stevenson’s fights lacked entertainment value or any semblance of drama. They were boring affairs with him using his hit-and-not-get-hit to defeat B-level fighters. Easily the best opponent Shakur fought during his seven-year stint with Top Rank was Edwin De Los Santos, and he was booed out of the ring by the crowd at the T-Mobile Arena for going into full Jerry mode, running nonstop to avoid the pressure.

The real reason why fans tuned in to watch Shakur on ESPN

• Top Rank’s promotion of him: The company put a lot of work into building Shakur by promoting his fights, giving him top billing despite his repeatedly boring performances. They didn’t care that he lost in the 2016 Olympics by Robeisy Ramirez. It’s believed they viewed Shakur as an imitation of Floyd Mayweather, having the elements of his game but a more eroded, less skilled version.
• ESPN commentators praise: Listening to the way the commentators on ESPN gushed over Shakur, it gave the perception that he was pure 24k gold. The actual reality is that he was a simple runner and had been matched exclusively against lesser fighters.
• Social media trash talk strategy: This was easily the biggest reason why fans tuned in to watch Stevenson. He posted frequently on X, telling his followers he’s the best at lightweight. He frequently littered his posts with mentions of Gervonta Davis, sneakily using his name to get attention from fans.
• Stevenson’s Narcissistic Personality: His constant bragging about his talent in the absence of impressive performances made fans want to watch him, hoping to see him lose. Fans hated his bragging, egotistical personality and wanted to see him knocked off his high horse.

“It’s crazy cause Top Rank boxing on ESPN TV viewership ain’t been the same since I’ve been gone, I damn near had an average of 1 million or more views every time I fought.. And this ain’t no shot at neither top rank or ESPN either, I’m just speaking the facts #Levels 👑” said Shakur Stevenson on X.