Timothy Bradley has named one fighter that could beat Shakur Stevenson, albeit while refusing to bet against the WBC world lightweight champion.
There are, indeed, very few operators that would be considered a favourite against Stevenson, who is widely regarded as one of boxing’s most skilled technicians.
The 28-year-old proved in his last fight against William Zepeda, too, that he can not only put on a masterful clinic, but also compete with a more aggressive customer on the inside.
But despite successfully defending his WBC title in July, Stevenson is now looking to move up in weight and take on WBO world champion Teofimo Lopez in the new year.
The winner of their expected showdown at 140lbs would then, in turn, place himself in a strong position to climb up the consensus pound-for-pound rankings.
For Stevenson, especially, the significance of becoming a four-division world champion would likely elevate him to a lofty spot, perhaps even just below the ultra-competitive top five.
Also closing in on a favourable pound-for-pound ranking, meanwhile, is Devin Haney, who became a three-weight world champion after dethroning Brian Norman Jr last Saturday.
By unanimously outpointing his foe, the newly-crowned WBO welterweight ruler secured one of his best victories, having previously defeated Vasyl Lomachenko, George Kambosos and Regis Prograis.
More importantly, though, a clash between Haney and Stevenson could soon make perfect sense, especially if the latter chooses to move up to 147lbs after his next outing.
Should their all-American showdown materialise, Bradley, while siding with Stevenson, has told FightHype that he can equally see a world where ‘The Dream’ emerges victorious.
“Haney might be the guy that can compete [with] and beat Shakur Stevenson. But, again, I would never bet against Shakur.
Defensively, I think he’s a brilliant boxer. I don’t think anybody can out-think him, or out-position him.
He’s just too slick and too hard to really figure out.”
