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Bid for gold behind them, Olympic boxers go for pro riches

By The Associated Press

Shakur Stevenson believes he is destined for greatness after barely missing out on Olympic gold in Rio.

So does Ireland’s Michael Conlan, and there’s already chatter about the two of them meeting in a big money fight one day.

The Olympic boxing graduate class of 2016 is taking shape, and while there’s not much to talk about in the heavier weights, professional promoters are hoping boxing fans will warm up to smaller scrappers like they once did for Olympic gold medalists Sugar Ray Leonard and Oscar De La Hoya.

Stevenson signed last week with Bob Arum’s Top Rank, and is eager to get his pro career going. Conlan is with the same company and will make his pro debut at Madison Square Garden’s theater on St. Patrick’s Day.

And then there is Claressa Shields, who is a step ahead of both. The two-time Olympic middleweight champion opened her career in November with a win on the undercard of the Andre Ward-Sergey Kovalev fight in Las Vegas. She will become the first woman to headline a fight card on premium cable when she fights in Detroit March 10 on Showtime.

The 21-year-old Shields has plans just as big as Stevenson and Conlan, even though women’s boxing has largely been ignored by most boxing fans in recent years.

“I believe 150 percent in my boxing ability,” she told The Associated Press before her first pro fight, a four-round decision over Franchon Crews. “I know I’m a great fighter. I fight better than 90 percent of the men who box now. I just know that, and I’m not at my best yet.”

Shields is the only American fighter — male or female — to win a gold medal since Ward captured one in Athens in 2004. Her story of fighting out of poverty in Flint, Michigan, resonates with many, and she is not afraid to speak her mind about her abilities or the state of the sport of boxing.

She also showed another side in Rio, when she gathered Stevenson in her arms after his gold medal split decision loss to Cuba’s Robeisy Ramirez. Shields, who was to fight for her second gold the next day, spent several minutes consoling her teammate and telling him there would be better things in his future.

“I trained my whole life for that one moment,” Stevenson said of his gold medal fight. “I failed and it hurt. I didn’t get to realize how far I had really come.”

Stevenson was sought in Rio by promoters who saw a lot of Leonard and De La Hoya in a fighter with slick moves and a dazzling smile. Floyd Mayweather Jr. spent time with him in Rio and talked about signing the fighter for his promotion company, but never gave him an offer.

Stevenson said he took less guaranteed money from Top Rank because of the company’s success in building up Olympic fighters such as Mayweather, De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto.

“I like the fact that they build superstars. They have the best track record around,” said Stevenson, who got his first name from the late rapper Tupac Shakur. “It’s going to take a few years, but I think I can be a star, too.”

Stevenson, the oldest of nine children who began boxing at the age of 7 in the Newark, New Jersey gym run by his grandfather, Walli Moses, does not yet have a date or an opponent for his debut. He will begin his pro career in the 126-pound featherweight division.

Conlan will fight as a super batamweight in his first bout, a scheduled six-rounder against Colorado’s Tim Ibarra, who is 4-4. He’s expecting to be the big favorite of a heavily Irish crowd in his debut at 122 pounds.

“I truly believe in my ability. I’m a fighter who speaks with complete confidence at all times,” he said. “No matter who’s in front of me, no matter what day it is, no one’s going to beat me.”

Conlan didn’t win a medal in Rio, but he did make some news. After losing a controversial decision to Russia’s Vladimir Nikitin he flashed obscene gestures at the judges, then sent a tweet to Vladimir Putin suggesting the Russian president helped fix the fight.

“Hey Vlad,” he tweeted. “How much did they charge you bro??”

Stevenson sees a possible big fight with Conlan once they both make names for themselves as a pro.

“I can’t wait for me and Michael Conlan to meet up in a big fight down the line,” he said.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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