Floyd Mayweather once named the man he believed had what it takes to potentially surpass what he achieved in the sport.
Mayweather had a career that most boxers would only dream of, becoming the number one fighter in the sport during his era both in terms of skill and box office star power.
He claimed world honours in five divisions from super featherweight to super welterweight, defeating fellow icons such as Manny Pacquiao, Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya as he retired with a perfect 50-0 record.
Since he hung up the gloves nearly a decade ago, many boxers have staked their claim to be the new face of boxing, including the likes of Canelo and Terence Crawford, but now another star has emerged as the potential heir to the Mayweather throne.
That man is Shakur Stevenson, who recently defeated Teofimo Lopez to win the WBO super-lightweight title, and it is clear that Mayweather had high hopes for his countryman from the very start.
Speaking in a resurfaced interview from over a decade ago whilst Stevenson was still an amateur, Mayweather tipped Stevenson for big things even at that stage.
“Some day he’s going to be a world champion at the professional level at the high ranks. I see the next Floyd Mayweather. If anybody can break my records, this young kid can do it, I truly believe in him.”
Stevenson is now a four-weight world champion, and holds an unbeaten record of 25-0. At just 28-years-old, he has plenty of time ahead of him to go on to accomplish even more in the sport.
