Shakur Stevenson is not only talented but he also has an eye for it.
From the moment the former Olympic silver medalist threw on his first pair of boxing gloves, he studied those who came before him. Floyd Mayweather, Sugar Ray Leonard, Ray Robinson, and a handful of others – are considered the best fighters the sport of boxing has ever seen.
Stevenson’s respect for those aforementioned names is through the roof. However, he’s never viewed them as the best fighters he’s seen with his own eyes. That spot has always been reserved for Terence Crawford.
Laughs and shoulder shrugs normally followed Stevenson’s comments. The 26-year-old paid no attention to those who believed he had no idea what he was talking about. He simply ducked when the oncoming tomatoes were hurled in his direction and continued to speak his truth.
Sure Crawford dominated every fighter that was placed in front of him but there was only one way Stevenson’s words could hold a bit more weight…defeat Errol Spence Jr.
For years now, the two were considered the best welterweights and amongst the best fighters in the world. With the pair finally agreeing to face off this past Saturday night, most were expecting a 50/50 clash, one that was practically impossible to predict.
Outside of an even first round, there was nothing about their showdown that was competitive. Crawford dominated. He knocked Spence down for the first time in his career in the second round, busted him up throughout, scored two more knockdowns, and eventually closed the show in the ninth.
Silence swept over the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. Although even some of Crawford’s biggest supporters were shell-shocked, Stevenson couldn’t wipe the gigantic grin off his face. As the final decision was announced, Stevenson made sure to remind everyone that they are currently watching the best to ever do it.
“The f—— greatest,” said Stevenson on a self-recorded video. “Y’all thought I was talking some bullsh!t.”
The picture-perfect jab that Spence often displays, nullified, the physical strength he uses to pin his opponents against the ropes, extraneous, the sturdy chin once capable of taking even the deadliest bombs, cracked and broken.
For years Stevenson accepted the arrows that came as a direct result of his beliefs. Now, with Crawford pushing his record to 40-0, Stevenson is rubbing it in.
“I tried to tell y’all. Y’all ain’t wanna f—— listen. The f—— goat.”