Shakur Stevenson has been trying to get bigger fights in the lightweight division for the past few years. However, it has not gone his way, and he has become one of the most ignored fighters in boxing. But, one legendary boxer believes Stevenson is headed in the right direction for greater success. Two-division undisputed champion Terence Crawford has prepared a plan to help Stevenson get to the top of the lightweight division.  

Stevenson extended his unbeaten record to 22-0 earlier this month against German boxer Artem Harutyunyan. Despite Stevenson’s victory, fans deemed it as a boring fight. Additionally, it was his last fight with Bob Arum’s Top Rank, and he has not signed another promoter yet. But the news of him being a free agent has created a buzz online.  

Terence Crawford backs Shakur Stevenson’s choices 

Fans have criticized Stevenson for being a boring combatant. He uses a fairly defensive style of play. However, ‘Bud’ prefers that the young boxer continue doing what he is doing and make no changes to his style. During his conversation with sports journalist Ariel Helwani, Crawford stated, “I would like to see Shakur Stevenson do exactly what he’s doing now. Keeping his name out there in the media, people are talking about him. Ultimately, I wanna see him fight the best in the division.”

Additionally, Crawford added, “I wanna see him unify the division and shut these guys up who are saying, ‘he’s not this great fighter they think he is’. I wanna see those guys get in the ring with him.”

Stevenson has been waiting for a long time to take on top boxers such as Devin Haney, Ryan Garcia, and Gervonta Davis. But to no avail.

However, he feels these boxers will eventually have to fight him for the title given that he currently holds the WBC lightweight belt. Moreover, another sports icon shares the same thoughts as ‘Bud’.  

Joe Cordina says “it’s mad” that people don’t acknowledge Shakur Stevenson’s talent

Joe Cordina, a former two-time super featherweight champion, admired Stevenson’s boxing abilities. The Welsh boxer was a rival to Stevenson before, but he still admires the latter’s talent. While talking to BoxingScene, Cordina said, “It’s mad, because I see loads of people giving him stick. But if you love the art of boxing, you can’t knock it. How can you knock that? He hits and doesn’t get hit. He’s smart.”

The 32-year-old further mentioned that Stevenson is among the best defensive fighters today. Cordina stated that he genuinely doesn’t understand why the Newark native is getting so much hate. He explained, “It’s people that just don’t see the art of boxing. All they want to see is knockouts.”

This discussion will only come to a head when ‘Sugar’ steps into the ring with top-notch fighters. What do you think about it in the interim? Share your thoughts in the comments below.