Trainer Derek ‘Bozy’ Ennis says Shakur Stevenson shouldn’t let anyone tell him how he should fight. He believes Shakur (24-0, 11 KOs) should continue to fight as he has in the past, using his “hit-and-don’t-get-hit” style to win.
Bozy disapproved of how WBC lightweight champion Stevenson chose to be stationary for his last fight against William Zepeda on July 12th in Queens, New York. Sounding like an enabler, Bozy states that Shakur should have stuck with his usual style of using movement.
Bozy: “Fight Your Fight”
“I told him, ‘Don’t let anybody make you do what you don’t want to do. Fight your fight. You’ve been winning that way. Keep on winning that way. You don’t have to prove anything to anybody. Your style isn’t really a running style,” said coach Derek ‘Bozy’ Ennis to YSM Sports Media about what he told Shakur Stevenson.
Turki vs. Bozy’s Advice
It appears Bozy hasn’t been keeping up with the news. Turki Alalshikh made it known before the July 12th event that he doesn’t want fighters on his Riyadh Season event to use the “Tom and Jerry” style. This was Turki’s partial quote on not wanting runners in his events: “We can no longer support these kinds of fights with Riyadh Season.”
That directive from Turki about no longer supporting Jerry-type fighters that don’t engage meant Shakur and other runners had no choice but to adapt or perish. Stevenson’s purse for the July 12th event Turki put on was a reported $7 million for his fight against William Zepeda.
Stevenson would have been taking a significant risk if he chose to run around the ring all night, as he’d done in many of his fights. Bozy might be fine with Shakur running, but he’s not the one paying him millions. If he had to pay Stevenson, he’d be demanding entertainment as well if he heard the crowds booing and walking out of the venues halfway through.
“The name of the game is hit and not get hit,” said Bozy, continuing to enable Shakur. “Because they want to see him lose. A lot of people want to see him lose,” said Bozy when asked why fans want Shakur to be stationary. “He’s great at what he do.”
Bozy’s Misguided Views
How can Bozy be so wrong about Shakur? He doesn’t understand that the sport has changed from his Stone Age era. Fans want to be entertained for their money and time spent. Shakur does not meet the criteria for entertainment with the way he’d been fighting.
Turki did him and other runners a service by warning them ahead of time. He could have just kept quiet and left Stevenson off his events. Turki was upfront, letting the Jerry-esque fighters know they must change to “leave it in the ring” because he will “no longer support” this style of fighting.
Last Updated on 07/21/2025
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