Former two-weight world champion Shakur Stevenson watched his close friend Terence Crawford stop Errol Spence Jr this past weekend and was quick to call him “the best” in the immediate aftermath.
Many were shocked by how easy Crawford made the fight look. The undisputed welterweight battle was widely seen as a ‘pick ’em’ before the first bell with both unbeaten men in their prime.
The imperious Crawford, however, was dominant throughout, eventually stopping a game but hittable Spence in the ninth round to claim all four major titles, making him the first-ever man to be undisputed in two divisions in the four belt era.
When it was suggested to Stevenson by FightHubTV that Crawford is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the game, he agrees.
“He’s the best fighter in the world right now. I take nothing away from [Spence]. He’s a hell of a fighter. He put it all on the line tonight so I got nothing but respect for him.”
Stevenson himself is on the hunt for world titles in a third weight class having been stripped of WBC and WBO super featherweight honours for failing to make weight in his first championship defense against Robson Conceição in September 2022. He still won the fight, but immediately moved up to lightweight.
His first contest at the new weight was a win in January against Shuichiro Yoshino. He is now hoping to square off against the likes of current lightweight champion Devin Haney, although Haney is scheduled to move up and make his 140 debut against Regis Prograis.
Stevenson feels it is unfair for Haney to hold the lightweight belts while he moves up to challenge in a higher weight class – something he is campaigning to do.
“If Haney keeps his belts I will be will heartbroken and I will feel some type of way about that.”
He says if that is the case and no belts are on the line, he won’t be able to lure Vasyl Lomachenko into the ring to face him.
“Lomachenko not gonna fight me if it’s not about the belts.”
