EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsZuffa Boxing netted its biggest and most decorated fighter to date, securing four-division champion Shakur Stevenson to a multi-fight deal. But the signing brings about more questions than answers for the boxing promotion helmed by UFC CEO Dana White as it attempts to chip away at becoming the top promotion in the sport.Make no mistake, signing Stevenson is a massive coup for Zuffa Boxing. But there are challenges ahead that we'll have to wait to see how they are ironed out over the next few months.First things first: Why did Stevenson decide to sign to Zuffa Boxing?"I'm in the money-getting business," Stevenson told ESPN on Thursday. Without getting into specifics on the financial details of his deal, Stevenson simply said "the money is insane."But the other reason why he signed on the dotted line is what boxing fans will find important."I wouldn't have signed if I can't get the fights that I want," Stevenson said. "When it comes down to it, I want to fight the biggest and best fights. That's what I'm in the sport for. We're not looking for no little, small fights that don't do nothing for me or my career."I'm not really thinking of being an undisputed champion. I just want to fight the biggest fights. I want to fight the guys that the fans want to see me fight, guys that they've been calling for years."Stevenson's statement contradicts how Zuffa Boxing has operated thus far. Zuffa fighters have exclusively fought Zuffa fighters on Paramount+, and we have yet to see a fight happen in collaboration with another promoter or network.Could the rules be bending for a fighter of Stevenson's magnitude?Since Stevenson said he is not interested in chasing world titles and only wants to make the biggest fights, the promotion, specifically White, will have to play nice with other promoters to make those fights happen. Given his volatile relationship with Golden Boy Promotions' Oscar De La Hoya and Matchroom Boxing's Eddie Hearn, perhaps those fences will have to be mended.One thing is for sure: Stevenson's signing brings significant credibility to Zuffa Boxing as a major player, as the WBO junior welterweight champion could attract other top names to the promotion. However, as extremely talented as Stevenson is, his star power has yet to be clearly defined, and his must-see status is largely dependent on who he is standing across the ring from.And that's not because he's not a great fighter; it's because he's almost too good and that leads to one-sided performances that lack drama and excitement. His near shutout of Teofimo Lopez Jr. in January, where Stevenson moved up in weight to face a young pound-for-pound fighter in his prime and completely dominated him, is evidence of Stevenson's mastery of his craft.Stevenson's style is not built for viral videos and highlight reels, as his performances are nuanced and technical. He is a boxing purists' dream, but that makes it difficult to lure in casual boxing fans who could be looking for action instead of Stevenson's trademark defensive style.And this defines Zuffa Boxing's biggest challenge when it comes to finding quality opponents for Stevenson, because those fighters are not currently under the Zuffa umbrella.Jose "Rayo" Valenzuela, a lightweight who is signed to Zuffa Boxing, has called out Stevenson, but don't expect to see that fight."I'm turning the fight down publicly right now just in case that they do come to the table and say, 'Oh, we want to fight Rayo.' Shakur will not be fighting Rayo," Stevenson said. "That will not be happening."Instead, Stevenson has his sights set on WBO welterweight champion Devin Haney. The two have been going back and forth on social media for quite some time and it's arguably one of the biggest fights that can be made for Stevenson, outside of Gervonta "Tank" Davis (PBC) and Ryan Garcia (Golden Boy Promotions), who has been linked to a possible fall fight with Zuffa Boxing's Conor Benn."Hopefully my next fight is with Devin Haney since Conor Benn isn't here," Stevenson said. "Or, hopefully it's Gervonta Davis. I haven't been calling his name lately, but now is the time to fight, so let's do it."Another intriguing wrinkle is that Stevenson currently holds the WBO title while Zuffa Boxing doesn't have a 140-pound division. That would seemingly force Stevenson to decide whether to go up or down in weight. Stevenson, however, said he'll operate under a different set of rules, allowing him to compete outside Zuffa's weight-class structure."Maybe that was with the fighters that they had before but, with all due respect, I feel like I'm the biggest fighter that they got and it's certain limitations and things that we could do and play around with," Stevenson said. "I don't feel like anything is off limits. I think all of us are aligned with Turki Alalshikh and Turki has been putting a lot of money into the sport of boxing. I don't have shortsighted visions. I don't think that's a problem with me. I don't see that being in the way or nothing like that. I think we are going to get around those things."If what Stevenson is saying holds true, this could be an industry-shaking move that also shows that Zuffa's plans aren't as rigid as they were when the promotion launched earlier this year. We'll have to wait and see if Zuffa Boxing will fulfill Stevenson's dreams beyond providing a massive payday.
