Shakur Stevenson is confident that his good friend, WBO welterweight champion Terence Crawford, would topple WBC, WBA, IBF junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo.
Crawford, currently a promotional free agent, is eager to secure a unification showdown at 147-pounds.
He hopes to land the winner of the upcoming fight between Errol Spence and Yordenis Ugas, who battle for the WBA, IBF, WBC straps on April 16.
If Crawford is unable to secure the Spence-Ugas winner, he’s open to the idea of moving up to junior middleweight to challenge the winner of the undisputed rematch between Charlo and Brian Castano.
Charlo, upon hearing Crawford’s willingness to move, issued a warning for the unbeaten welterweight to remain in his weight class. He’s not confident that Crawford is big enough to make a dent at junior middleweight.
Before being crowned at 147, Crawford captured world titles at lightweight and junior welterweight – and Stevenson backs him to win gold at 154-pounds.
“I think Bud is going to surprise. He [Charlo] really doesn’t think Bud is strong. He’s talking about being the knockout artist. I definitely don’t see that happening with Bud. I feel like Bud is the better overall fighter,” Stevenson told Fight Hub TV.
“We have seen [Charlo] struggle with Tony Harrison. I feel like Bud is levels above Tony Harrison, no disrespect to him. Bud will beat him, but he’s just talking. It surprises people how strong Bud actually is.
“I have seen him knock out some heavyweights in the gym. He hurts 178-pounders. I’m not going to say no names, but fighters that are out there now. I have seen him put down and hurt them. I feel like Charlo gets hit with one of them punches, and he’s going to have a changed mind.”