Following the undefeated WBO junior welterweight titleholder’s split from Zuffa Boxing, Jose “Rayo” Valenzuela asserts that Shakur Stevenson passed up a multi-million dollar purse solely to avoid facing him.
Valenzuela voiced his thoughts after journalist Sean Zittel reported that Stevenson rejected an offer near $7 million for a potential Newark bout in January, insisting instead on a minimum guarantee of $15 million per fight regardless of the opponent.
“He’d rather leave all that money on the table than get in the ring with me,” Valenzuela posted on X on October 19.
This narrative represents Rayo’s perspective on the breakdown of negotiations. Although these payout details originate exclusively from Zittel’s account and declining a proposal isn’t definitive proof of ducking, Valenzuela now possesses a ready response anytime Stevenson complains about being avoided or unable to secure opponents.
Shakur had earlier dismissed Valenzuela upon aligning with Zuffa back in July, focusing his sight on bigger high-profile clashes. However, when the proposed fight against Devin Haney fell through, Shakur exited the banner without ever competing in a single bout under their banner.
Provided Zittel’s report is accurate, squaring off against Rayo would have secured Stevenson a lucrative payday along with an energetic home-fight atmosphere in Newark while staying active for larger fights down the line. Valenzuela didn’t need to be his ultimate objective for the scheduling to be worthwhile.
Today, the true hurdle for Stevenson lies in finding a more lucrative deal in the open market. While insisting on $15 million is ambitious, locating a promoter prepared to guarantee that level of compensation for a standard opponent presents a formidable obstacle.
The harsh financial realities of boxing are undeniable, and at present, Shakur Stevenson’s commercial pull falls short of his financial demands. Requesting $15 million per appearance aligns with elite heavyweight title bouts or premier Gervonta Davis pay-per-view events. Thus far, Shakur has not demonstrated the capacity to drive ticket sales or pay-per-view buys necessary to warrant such a guaranteed payout from a promoter.
Should a promotional company such as Matchroom, Top Rank, or Queensberry write a $15 million check, they would be operating at a significant loss long before the opening bell sounds. Deprived of external financial backing or a deep-pocketed investor ready to swallow heavy losses, conventional boxing promoters operate on strict profit margins.
Guaranteeing Shakur that magnitude of money against any foe besides Tank Davis represents financial ruin. If Stevenson refuses to budge from his $15 million requirement, he threatens to price himself entirely out of competition.
