From a boxer’s view, the logic is flawless, but from a business view, it’s a total mess.
Shakur’s fight with William Zepeda proved he can fight with presence when he wants to. He stayed in the pocket, and he let exchanges happen. In that fight, Stevenson threw combinations instead of the usual ‘one shot and move’ routine. The fight had drama, and the crowd actually felt it. It wasn’t just 12 rounds of hit and not get hit.
Keyshawn watched that and saw nothing but danger. He saw Shakur standing still too long and taking punches he could’ve easily avoided. He witnessed a fighter stepping outside his usual safety first style to prove a point to the fans. Keyshawn’s message was simple: Don’t do that again.
That advice is crashing headfirst into the reality of 2026.
The people writing the checks for boxing’s biggest stages have been blunt about what they won’t pay for. They don’t want long stretches of movement without action, and they don’t want “control” if it means zero confrontation. Recent comments from Turki Alalshikh were not subtle. They were a warning.
This matters because boxing isn’t on free TV anymore. Fans are paying monthly fees just to keep up, and then paying again on fight night. When the action disappears, the fans’ patience goes with it. We saw it in the hostile reaction to the De Los Santos fight and the early exits in Newark against Harutyunyan. People didn’t stick around to debate Shakur’s footwork; they just left.
This is the heart of the issue. Keyshawn is giving advice meant to reduce risk. The money shaping boxing right now is asking for visible action.
Promoters talk about revival and often point to Ali. Not because Ali fought safely, but because his fights carried danger even when he was in control. He mixed defense with engagement. He allowed moments to develop, and that balance is what people remember.
Shakur can fight that way because he just proved it against William Zepeda. The question isn’t whether he can do it, but whether he’s willing to. Keyshawn is steering him back toward the version of himself that wins rounds cleanly but leaves the fans cold. That version still works for the record books, but it might not work for the bank account in this new era of boxing.
Winning is still the goal, but winning alone might not be what people are paying for anymore.
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