Shakur Stevenson has spent years watching Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford up close. He’s sparred him, trained alongside him, and leaned on him as a mentor outside the ring.
Now, on the eve of Crawford’s blockbuster showdown with Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas, Stevenson insists his friend is destined to shock the world – before walking away for good.
Stevenson, 27, has long been tipped as one of boxing’s brightest young stars. But even he admits Crawford left a huge impression on him, both as a fighter and as a man.
‘I’ve been trying to figure out where Crawford’s competitive streak of his came from,’ Stevenson told Mail Sport. ‘It’s got to be his family or his upbringing. I didn’t know him when he was younger, I probably wasn’t even born. He’s ten years older than me.
‘But here’s the truth, and people are gonna say I’m riding, I feel like God put him in my life for a reason. There were moments I could’ve drifted off, but Terence always kept me on the right path.
Shakur Stevenson has spent years watching Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford up close. He’s sparred him, trained alongside him, and leaned on him as a mentor outside the ring
Now, on the eve of Crawford’s blockbuster showdown with Canelo Alvarez in Las Vegas , Stevenson insists his friend is destined to shock the world – before walking away for good
Canelo (left) and Crawford (right) will go toe-to-toe at the Allegiant Stadium on Saturday night
‘When I got caught up in Miami, he was the first one on my phone. Like, ‘Bro, you tripping, this ain’t what you need to be doing.’ I appreciate him for that. I’ll always support him.’
That support has been forged in the gym as much as outside it. Stevenson still remembers the first time he sparred the two weight undisputed champion and the painful lesson it delivered.
‘Man, the first time he fucked me up, he really f***ed me up,’ Stevenson laughed. ‘But I promised myself I’d keep sparring him to get better. Over the years, I started closing that gap, to where he wasn’t just beating my a** anymore. But to me, he’s always been the GOAT – even before this fight, he’s been the GOAT in my eyes.’
For Stevenson, those sparring sessions revealed the real secret behind Crawford’s greatness: relentless hard work.
‘I’ve never seen anyone with a work ethic like his. He’s the hardest-working boxer I’ve ever been around. That’s what carries him in these fights. I can’t give you all the secrets, but I will say this: I have never seen a fighter work harder than Terence Crawford.’
That tireless dedication is why Stevenson believes Crawford can topple Canelo, even if he isn’t betting on a knockout.
‘I’m picking decision,’ he admitted. ‘Canelo’s got great defense, he’s not an easy target. He always keeps his hands up, and I think that’s the most underrated part of his game.
‘Canelo used to be one of my favorite fighters. But he’s fighting Bud now. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bud wobbled him or hurt him, but Canelo better go in with respect. I’m hearing he thinks Bud can’t hurt him and I just don’t believe that.’
Talk of resumes inevitably follows Canelo, whose career has spanned more than 60 professional fights. But Stevenson is quick to shoot down the idea that the Mexican’s record is unquestionably superior.
‘That’s bulls***,’ he said bluntly. ‘When people talk resumes, they don’t always get it right. Look at me and Tank [Davis]. Some of the guys he fights, because he’s a superstar, people don’t know them until after he fights them. Then suddenly that guy has this big name. But that doesn’t mean he was that before.
‘When I fight someone, I’m a star but not at Tank’s level, so my opponents don’t blow up the same way. It’s different. Like, nobody really knew Isaac Cruz until after he fought Tank. But if I fight someone like Artem, nobody knows him, and even after fighting me, he’s just seen as a regular guy. That’s how it works.’
And if Crawford does the unthinkable and dethrones Canelo on Saturday, Stevenson believes the perfect ending would be to call it a day right there.
‘Retire, bro. Retire,’ he said. ‘Sit back, enjoy your kids, enjoy your family. Forget these training camps. I told Bud he should come work with me. I’d love for him to be one of my coaches.’
Could that really happen? Stevenson doesn’t hesitate. ‘I want it to be. Yeah, for sure.’
