NEWARK, New Jersey – Shakur Stevenson doesn’t take pound-for-pound debates all that severely.
The unbeaten Stevenson understands the subjective nature of setting up such lists. That’s why he hasn’t taken offense to criticism from people who really feel he hasn’t achieved sufficient to warrant a spot within the prime 10.
Naturally, Stevenson believes he belongs among the many 10 greatest boxers, pound-for-pound, within the sport.
“The place would I put myself on a pound-for-pound listing?,” Stevenson requested throughout an interview with BoxingScene.com. “I might say like seven, perhaps six.”
The group of champions Stevenson thinks must be ranked forward of him is according to most media lists.
“The blokes I believe are forward of me are Terence Crawford, Errol Spence, Canelo Alvarez, perhaps Inoue, perhaps Tyson Fury,” Stevenson mentioned. “That’s if we’re calling him pound-for-pound as a result of he’s solely at one weight class. I might put him on the pound-for-pound listing as a result of I believe it’s for the perfect fighters on the planet. So, I’d say Tyson Fury, too. And I’d give it to Usyk, too. That’s about it.”
The 25-year-old Stevenson (18-0, 9 KOs) has gained world titles in two weight courses and have become a unified champion within the 130-pound division simply 18 fights into his five-year skilled profession. The previous WBO featherweight champion was stripped of his WBC and WBO 130-pound championships Thursday as a result of he got here in 1.6 kilos chubby for his 12-round combat Friday night time towards Brazilian contender Robson Conceicao (17-1, 8 KOs) at Prudential Middle in Newark, Stevenson’s hometown.
Stevenson, a 2016 Olympic silver medalist, will transfer as much as the light-weight division for his subsequent combat as a result of he conceded Thursday that he can not get all the way down to 130 kilos. He would like to combat undefeated, undisputed 135-pound champion Devin Haney (28-0, 15 KOs), who will sq. off towards Australia’s George Kambosos Jr. (20-1, 10 KOs) in a right away rematch October 16 at Rod Laver Area in Melbourne, Australia.
Haney has been far more vocal about expressing his displeasure with pound-for-pound lists, most notably with being omitted from The Ring journal’s prime 10.
“I actually don’t care about it as a result of I agree with what Devin mentioned, that pound-for-pound lists are opinionated, on the finish of the day,” Stevenson mentioned. “All of it is someone’s opinion. Individuals obtained totally different pound-for-pound lists. I agree with what he mentioned. It’s opinionated, and a few individuals really feel I’m on the pound-for-pound listing. Some individuals might really feel I didn’t do sufficient. So, no matter they really feel, that’s cool.”
BoxingScene.com ranked Stevenson ninth on its most up-to-date pound-for-pound listing (https://www.boxingscene.com/rankings/pound-for-pound). ESPN.com positioned Stevenson at quantity 9 on its listing as properly.
Stevenson didn’t crack the highest 10 in The Ring’s most up-to-date rankings.
Keith Idec is a senior author/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He will be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
