Well now, let me tell ya a thing or two about that Shakur Stevenson boy and his father, Alfredo Rivera. It’s a bit of a sad story, y’know? A lotta folks don’t know, but Shakur’s father wasn’t around much when he was a little feller. The man was there at first, but then… well, life got in the way, and Shakur ended up growin’ up without him. That Alfredo Rivera, he had his own struggles, and I reckon he couldn’t quite be the father he needed to be. But, before he passed away in 2019, he tried to make up for lost time. He sure did try, but sometimes it’s just too late, ain’t it?
Now, that Shakur Stevenson boy, he’s somethin’ special. Born in Newark, New Jersey, in 1997, he grew up with a lotta love from his mama, Malikah Stevenson. She raised him right, y’know, despite all them hardships. Shakur’s got a stepdad too, a feller named Shahid Guyton. He ain’t his real daddy, but from what I hear, he was there for Shakur like a real father would be. Now that’s what I call family—lookin’ after one another even when the blood ties ain’t thick. And don’t get me wrong, Shakur’s biological father, Alfredo, he tried to reconnect before he died. He really did, but sometimes the hurt’s just too deep to fix.
Shakur, he’s gone on to do mighty fine things in the world of boxing. He’s won titles in three weight classes, from featherweight up to lightweight, and boy, he’s been real successful at it. The boy got that Olympic gold medal too, if ya didn’t know. Now that’s a big deal, especially comin’ from a place like Newark. He’s got a whole lotta folks backin’ him, cheering him on, includin’ his mama and stepdad, Shahid.
When his daddy, Alfredo, passed away, Shakur posted on social media about it. He said it taught him a lesson, that life’s too short and ya gotta appreciate your family while they’re still around. Ain’t that the truth? Sometimes it takes a heartbreak to open up a man’s eyes. I suppose that’s why the boy’s been workin’ so hard, making sure to make his family proud, and honor what they did for him. I reckon that’s the lesson his daddy left him with in the end, despite all them years apart.
Now, you might be wonderin’ if Shakur’s father, Alfredo Rivera, was Puerto Rican. Well, yes ma’am, he was. Shakur’s got that Puerto Rican blood in him from his daddy’s side. You can see a bit of that in Shakur himself, I reckon. A little of that proud Puerto Rican spirit runnin’ through his veins. But, even though he’s got that heritage, it’s been the love from his mama and stepdad that’s shaped him the most.
Life ain’t always fair, and sometimes things don’t turn out how we want ’em to. But Shakur Stevenson, he’s made a name for himself in the boxing world, and he’s done it on his own terms, despite all the struggles with his father. I imagine that’s somethin’ to be proud of, don’t ya think? The boy’s a fighter, not just in the ring, but in life too. It don’t matter where ya start, it’s where ya finish that counts, and I reckon Shakur’s got a lot more fight left in him yet.
Tags: Shakur Stevenson, Alfredo Rivera, Shahid Guyton, boxing, Puerto Rican, Malikah Stevenson, Newark, family, WBC lightweight champion, stepfather, boxing titles
