Two-division world champion and lightweight title challenger Shakur Stevenson has received plenty of plaudits for his continued improvement and natural talent.
Many consider him having the potential to be pound-for-pound number one in the future, so what fighters does 26-year-old believe deserve that honour now?
Speaking to ES News, Stevenson named the five fighters that he believes have the best skills in the sport.
Tyson Fury
Despite a shaky display against Francis Ngannou, Stevenson has the heavyweight champion sneaking into the top five. Back-to-back wins over Deontay Wilder in the States were enough to convince the boxing world that the Brit was the best heavyweight on the planet, but over two years later it appears that Fury must to defeat Oleksandr Usyk to fully cement his place at the top of the pile after the below-par split-decision win over Ngannou last weekend.
Gervonta Davis
‘Shak’ opted for a fellow former super-featherweight champion in Gerovnta ‘Tank’ Davis for the slot at number four and, like Stevenson, he is expected to add another world title to his name in the near future. Twenty-seven stoppages on a twenty-nine-bout unbeaten record is no mean feat and he and Stevenson may well meet for a lightweight title now that Devin Haney has confirmed his move up to super-lightweight.
Naoya Inoue
Naoya Inoue threw his hat into the ring for pound-for-pound number one spot after a dominant performance against Stephen Fulton back in July. The Japanese phenomenon put a stamp of authority on the contest with an eighth round knockout to become a four-division champion, and he aims to become a two-division undisputed title holder on his next outing, facing Marlos Tapales on December 26 in Tokyo.
Terence Crawford
After Inoue’s sensational performance, Terence Crawford made his own case just five days later with an equally one-sided win over long-time rival Errol Spence Jr to become the undisputed welterweight king and reach new levels of superstardom.
Shakur Stevenson
Of course the ever-confident Stevenson would always put himself at the top of the list, and many others may begin to include him at the top of their pound-for-pound rankings if he is successful against Edwin De Los Santos on November 16 for the WBC Lightweight World Title.