By Mitch Abramson
For the past two years, Curtis Stevens has been helping other boxers get better. Stevens, a super middleweight from Brooklyn, does not run a charity network for boxers. But he was in camp with Andre Ward for his fight with Arthur Abraham in the Super Six tournament in May. He also helped Delvin Rodriguez get ready for his fights with Pawel Wolak, and he spent time in camp with Jean Pascal. Stevens was assisting others in sparring, but one thing he wasn’t doing was fighting to improve his own professional standing.
Stevens last fought on Jan. 29, 2010, in a disappointing loss to Jesse Brinkley in a bout he was favored to win. He hasn’t fought in over two years. Well, Stevens, the former “Chin Checker” is finally making his long awaited return on March 24 at the Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn on the undercard of Zab Judah and Vernon Paris.
Stevens, 26, is also close to signing a co-promotional deal with Main Events and Havoc Boxing after working out a resolution with Star Boxing, which had him under contact for the past two years, according to his uncle and trainer, Andre Rozier. Joe DeGuardia of Star Boxing is just waiting for Stevens to return the signing bonus of $25,000 he was given before he's released from his contract.
Main Events CEO Kathy Duva said that nothing is final, but judging from her comments, it’s clear that Duva would like nothing more than to have Stevens (21-3, 15 knockouts) in the fold at Main Events. Stevens fought on a Main Events promoted show back in 2009 and left a good impression with his third-round stoppage of the previously undefeated Piotr Wilczewski.
“He’s a terrific fighter,” she said in a phone interview. “We want to use him on our shows. He’s fan friendly.”
While Main Events doesn’t sign many fighters, calling itself a “boutique firm,” Duva is certainly bullish on Stevens because of the intensity he brings to his bouts and his ability to entertain fans with his power. Of course, his critics might say it’s his over-reliance on his power that has cost him in losses to Brinkley and Andre Dirrell, but it’s his ability to put opponents to sleep that has made him an attraction.
Main Events, which recently signed a deal with the NBC Network to televise four boxing shows this year, wants to showcase fighters who will create a buzz and help with ratings, and Stevens could help in both areas down the road, Duva noted, as well as be a reliable ticket seller. His comeback fight will not be televised on March 24.
“One thing I’ve noticed that I’ve kind of used as a barometer for boxers is that some fighters get to the ring and they have a personal relationship with everyone in the room,” Duva said. “Curtis has that ability. It’s nothing that you can teach. He has the ability to connect in some way with everyone in the room that has allowed him to create a following. I have to look for those kinds of fighters who fans like to watch and Curtis is one of those guys.”
Stevens is looking forward to finally getting back in the ring after a two-year layoff. Not bashful about his intentions, Stevens promised some vintage chin-checker fireworks in the ring.
“I’m definitely looking forward to fighting again,” Stevens said in a recent phone interview. “Being with world champions in camp makes me want to be a world champion. While I haven’t fought in two years, I’ve been training. I’ve been ready for fights, they just didn’t happen. But I’m just glad for the opportunity to have a fight to prepare for now and since it’s going to be in Brooklyn, you know I’m going to have a lot of support with the fans and I’m going to do what I do best, you know, which is check in and check out.”
Rozier blamed a dispute between Stevens and his former promoter, Star Boxing, as the reason for his long layoff. DeGuardia, who founded Star Boxing, declined to get into specifics over what happened, other than to say that Stevens has been released from his contract pending the return of his signing bonus of $25,000.
“He’s free to do whatever he wants,” DeGuardia said. “He’s got a lot of potential. If he dedicates himself properly, he’s got the talent. It’s unfortunate he didn’t win the Brinkley fight. If he dedicates himself the right way, hopefully he can put the past in the past and take advantage of the gifts that he has.”
Says Rozier of the settlement and amicable breakup: “We didn’t want to work together anymore, and [Joe DeGuardia] was like, 'I want my money back.' It was a fair deal. He could have said, ‘Give me more.’ But he just wanted the bonus back, which I think was fair.”
Stevens was similarly quiet on the topic, blaming his lack of activity over the past two years as nothing more than “bad communication” between his camp and Star Boxing. He’s grateful to get a release from the contract and to have another promoter waiting in the wings to take another chance on him.
“It’s always good to get out of a contract knowing that someone else wants to sign me,” he said. “It gives me the push to become a world champion.”
Rozier, along with Gary Stark Sr., is trying to get Stevens to revisit the style that made him one of the top amateurs in the country with more head movement and activity in the ring, instead of just relying on his power. The plan is to keep Stevens, who will be campaigning as a middleweight, very busy in the upcoming months, with perhaps another appearance in May, according to Rozier.
“He used to bob and weave,” Rozier said. “He was a very busy fighter. As he got more into the professional game, it seemed like some of those things went and he was just focusing on the big knockout. He’s really gifted with fast hands. He can move well on his feet. We’re trying to get him to go back to that.”
Stevens, who no longer claims Brownsville as home- he's taken up residence in Queens Village- also vowed to be more dedicated in between fights, when he said he probably indulged in too much of the night life instead of taking care of his body and staying in the gym. Training hard has never been a problem, he says. It’s just the downtime that sometimes proved a bit tough to navigate.
“I was partying too much, taking things for granted,” Stevens admits. “Being away for this long gave me a different outlook on things. This time, I’m more focused and I’m excited and ready to go. I’m going to be the regular Curtis 'Showtime' Stevens for this fight coming up.”
Mitch Abramson covers boxing for the New York Daily News and BoxingScene.com.
