Terence Crawford Is Certain That Shakur Stevenson Will Prove Himself on Fight Night

Shakur Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs) and Teofimo Lopez (22-1, 18 KOs) will soon test their mettle in a welterweight showdown at Madison Square Garden in New York. As fight night approaches, Terence Crawford has a word of caution for Lopez: do not take Stevenson lightly.

Talking during their presser, Crawford stated that despite Lopez’s skillset, Stevenson might just prove to be a bigger morsel to chew.

“Teofimo is a good fighter. He’s very talented, very athletic. He’s always rose to the occasion in big moments like this. But Shakur’s just on a whole other level. This Saturday, he’s gonna prove it,” he said.

Crawford’s statements can’t be dismissed as mere outsider analysis. Coming from the same boxing circle, Crawford and Stevenson have trained together for years, with the former even serving as a mentor to the latter as his career developed.

Coming to the fight, Crawford expects Stevenson to showcase a mix of playing safe and relying on timing to counter his opponent’s attacks with more offense. In fact, he is certain that Lopez, despite faring well against southpaws, will face a completely different level of southpaw with Stevenson.

“To be honest, I think he’s gonna do a little bit of everything. I think we’re gonna see the best Shakur Stevenson come Saturday, and I feel like it’s gonna be too much,” he said. “Teofimo has done real well against southpaws, but Shakur has done real well against orthodox fighters. Shakur is not the average southpaw that Teofimo has been fighting. That’s why I say he’s levels above.”

“Another Day In The Office”

Meanwhile, Crawford wants Stevenson not be too stressed about the fight. Instead, he’d like to see him approach it like another day of sparring.

“Just be yourself. This another day in the office. Another walk in the park. There’s no reason to put a lot of pressure on yourself, because you know what you’re capable of,” he said.

Joshua Ben Joseph

Joshua Ben Joseph is a Boxing writer renowned for his unparalleled coverage of live events and insightful interviews with prominent athletes in the world of combat sports. With a career spanning over several years, he has authored more than 800 articles. As an experienced editorial cartoonist and investigative journalist, Joshua has a keen eye for detail and a passion for delivering quality content. Aside from his writing, Joshua is an avid powerlifter and solo traveler, embodying the same spirit of determination and exploration that he brings to his work. With a deep love for the sport of boxing that dates back to childhood, he is committed to delivering the highest quality content and helping to build a more transparent and credible industry.

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