The former pound for pound number one boxer in the globe spoke highly of Shakur Stevenson but this might be a stretch.
US boxer Shakur Stevenson has really only fought Teofimo Lopez to date and had his career best victory over him earlier this year.
Terence Crawford has said that Shakur Stevenson is going to take over boxing but that is a big call to say the least.
Here is more on that:
- Only 11 KOs in 25 fights (44%)—lacks the stopping power to hurt elite opponents or command respect in the ring
- Relies too heavily on defense and movement; when forced into exchanges, he can look hesitant and unassertive
- Crawford himself is the first male undisputed in three weight classes—Shakur hasn’t come close to that level of accomplishment yet
- Crawford has admitted he’s seen Shakur have “little issues” against lesser opponents, proving he’s not invincible
- His style often produces passive, uneventful fights that bore casual fans—you can’t “take over” boxing without mainstream appeal
- He struggled at times against opponents who pressured him, suggesting a blueprint exists to beat him
- The lightweight division is stacked with power punchers who could expose his lack of offensive firepower
- He hasn’t faced a true elite prime fighter in their peak—Lopez was coming off a loss and looked diminished
- Defensive specialists historically don’t become global superstars; Mayweather needed an undefeated record and huge promotions to do it, which Shakur lacks
- Crawford’s praise may be genuine, but it also sounds like a veteran hyping a younger fighter—not a guarantee of future dominance.
All in all, Shakur Stevenson just does not have that X factor that Mayweather did back in the day.
He does not knock people out and does not have the same personality for selling big fights that he did.
Shakur Stevenson needs to box big names regularly and not try to weight drain opponents in talks for fights with rehydration clauses and so on.
Let’s see who Stevenson fights next first.
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