Bob Arum Says Paying Shakur Stevenson $15 Million Makes No Financial Sense
The former Top Rank promoter says Shakur's price tag doesn't match what his fights generate, and the money for a Haney fight never existed.
Bob Arum has gone public with what he sees as the central problem in Shakur Stevenson's career: nobody can afford him.
Speaking on Fight Hub TV, Arum said flatly, "To pay Shakur 15 million, financially, it's not viable." He argued that the revenue Stevenson's fights generate does not support a purse at that level, per Boxing News 24.
Arum also addressed the failed negotiations for a Shakur Stevenson vs. Devin Haney fight, calling it a matchup fans would want to see but one that could never get off the ground financially. "The money didn't exist in the fight that they would have," Arum said. He added that the money promised to both fighters exceeded what the event could justify.
On the topic of Stevenson's split with Zuffa Boxing, Arum said, "If you can get out of that contract, you get out of it." He linked the departure to reduced outside funding but offered no documentation for the claim, according to Boxing News 24.
Zuffa reportedly tabled a fight against Jose "Rayo" Valenzuela at a reduced, market-corrected purse of around $7 million. Stevenson reportedly turned it down. The gap between $15 million and $7 million tells you where the disconnect is.
Stevenson remains one of the most skilled fighters in boxing, but the business side of his career continues to stall.
I've said this before: Shakur Stevenson might be the best pure boxer in the sport, and it doesn't matter if nobody's buying tickets. The $15 million number is real money that real promoters have to find somewhere. If the fights aren't generating it, you're asking somebody to eat a loss, and that's not a business model.
Arum's not wrong about the math. But there's a bigger question here. Why can't one of the most talented fighters in boxing sell? Part of it is style. Part of it is that his best potential opponents keep falling through. The Haney fight would have been massive. The fact that it died over money tells you everything about where boxing is right now.
Shakur at $7 million against Valenzuela is a fair offer by industry standards. Turning that down because you think you're worth double is a gamble, and right now the house is winning.
https://www.boxingnews24.com/2026/10/bob-arum-calls-shakur-stevensons-15-million-price-unviable/
KEEP TALKING FIGHTS.
BoxingEddie Hearn Rips Haney and Teofimo for Playing Promoter on Someone Else's Dime
BoxingWBO Orders Bentley to Face Hernandez or Vacate Middleweight Title
BoxingFoster and Navarrete Unify Three Super Featherweight Titles Saturday
Boxing