Shakur Stevenson is a rare talent.
The 2016 Olympic silver medalist, who will face Shuichiro Yoshino on Saturday night in Newark, New Jersey, is one of the few unusually talented boxers who could one day take the place of the stars. today’s biggest star to become king in pounds.
Stevenson (19-0.9 KO) wasn’t a knockout artist but he dominated like anyone in his own right. There seems to be no active fighter better at hitting and not getting hit, that’s the name of the game.
The Newark native leads all fighters in the CompuBox plus or minus category, a percentage of the number of punches he lands to the number of punches he takes. He has +18.6, far ahead of second place David Benavidez (+17.6).
And he’s just as elusive as anyone. The opponent only landed 13.8% of the punches on him, second only to Dmitry Bivol (12.7%).
Of course, CompuBox numbers are not official statistics. At the same time, they give you a good idea of Stevenson’s elite abilities, which only a few of his esteemed colleagues can match.
Here are five exceptional boxers that could take the #1 spot on Boxing Junkie’s weight list in the next few years.
SHAKUR STEVENSON
Take note: 19-0 (9 KOs)
Assignment: Light weight (135 pounds)
Current pound-for-pound: number 13
Year old: 25
Prefer: Stevenson has possibly the most impressive combination of skills and innate gifts, i.e. speed, reflexes and sportsmanship. He’s one of the boxers of a generation that was once beautiful to look at, much like Vasiliy Lomachenko in his prime. Southpaw controls distance with excellent footwork and a powerful jab, allowing him to destroy his foes. And, again, his defensive skills are exceptional. He’s not a knock-out artist but his powerful punches are sharp and eye-catching. You get the idea. He could be the best boxer in the world and just keeps getting better. Plus, he probably has the best résumé out of the boxers mentioned here. His one-way victory first Jamel Herring (TKO 10) And Oscar Valdez (UD) are real tests that he passed with flying colors.
Dislike: He usually won’t change the fight with a single shot. A boxer doesn’t have to punch like Deontay Wilder to reach the highest levels of the sport, as Floyd Mayweather has proven during his Hall of Fame career. But who can even approach Mayweather’s level of ability.? Stevenson may be the best overall boxer of his generation but he’s going to get there despite his lack of superior punching power, not for it.
Gervonta DAVIS
Take note: 28-0 (26 KOs)
Assignment: Light weight (135 pounds)
Current pound-for-pound: No. 10
Year old: 28
Prefer: “Tank” seems to be a complete fighter. He has excellent natural gifts, including speed and a rock-hard chin. He is a top all-around boxer, including underrated defensive skills. And he is one of the greatest boxers in the weight sport, as his 93% knockdown rate shows. If you fight him, you will almost certainly be injured at some point during the match. His demeanor is also impressive. He is calm, cool and with unwavering confidence when it comes to his job of attacking, breaking and ultimately stopping his opponents. A good example is his fight with Isaac Cruz. He injured his left hand (taking the lead) midway through a tough battle but persevered and win a decisionN. I ask you: Can you find a flaw?
Dislike: Who did Davis beat? His most successful opponent is Leo Santa Cruz but Santa Cruz gained weight to face him. Aside from Santa Cruz there are some good enemies – Cruz, Mario Barrios, Rolando Romero, Hector Luis Garcia – but none come close to the pound’s position. We’ll learn a little more about Davis in the face of the talented Ryan Garcia on April 22 but we want to see him up against a next-level boxer, the Stevensons, Lomachenkos and Devin Haney’s of the world. In addition, the constant pressure of Cruz caused Davis many problems. Could that be the way to defeat him? Or does a strong left hand make that a bad strategy?
JARON ENNIS
Take note: 30-0 (27 KOs)
Assignment: Middleweight (147 pounds)
Current pound-for-pound: Do not have
Year old: 25
Prefer: Ennis is a well-educated boxer but what stands out are his God-given tools: He’s possibly the most talented boxer in the world. His speed, reflexes, and one-punch knockdown power are reminiscent of a Roy Jones Jr. frontman, which is the ultimate compliment. Opponents can be capable and have a solid strategy but they generally can’t deal with Ennis’ agility and ability to hurt them with any of Ennis’ punches. Power? He stopped 19 opponents in a row (not counting a non-competitive competition) until one missed Karen Chukhadzhian took him far in January. Ennis’ sixteen stops came in less than two innings, 11 in one. Watching Ennis fight is often breathtaking, something many of his peers cannot say.
Dislike: Ennis has yet to face a real test. He’s fought some quality opponents – including veterans Sergey Lipinets and Thomas Dulorme – but we won’t know how good he really is until he faces one. excellence. It doesn’t have to be Terence Crawford or Errol Spence Jr. right away. Someone like Keith Thurman, Vergil Ortiz or Yordenis Ugas will give us a better idea of where Ennis is. In addition, he looked human for the first time before Chukhadzhian. However, that had more to do with the loser’s reluctance to participate than any omission on the part of Ennis. And Ennis still won by a near-death decision.
DEVIN HANEY
Take note: 29-0 (15 KOs)
Assignment: Light weight (135 pounds)
Pound-for-pound: 15
Year old: 24
Prefer: Haney has a lot in common with Stevenson. He is an outstanding amateur, which has given him a solid base. He has a high IQ, which allows him to adapt to anything thrown at him. And God was very good to him too. He’s agile, moves well, and has cat-like reflexes. He also has strong opponent and plus minus connection ratio numbers, +12.3 (number 8 in the sport) and 19.6% (number 7). On top of that, he has a resume that rivals Stevenson. He’s way ahead of former title holders Jorge Linares and Joseph Diaz Jr., that’s impressive enough. After that, he easily surpassed George Kambosos Jr. to become the undisputed 135-pound champion in Australia, home of the Kambosos. He’s only 23. And he win rematchalso in Australia, by a larger margin four months later.
Dislike: Haney also shares a problem with Stevenson, if that’s the case: His hands aren’t particularly heavy. He relies more on his unusual skill set than his ability to hurt opponents, which is reflected in his very high kill rate. Also, while he’s building a solid resume, some fans want to see him face off against a next-level opponent before naming Haney as the next great thing. That happened on May 20, when he defended his title against Lomachenko.
DAVID BENAVIDEZ
Take note: 27-0 (23 KOs)
Assignment: Super Medium (168 pounds)
Pound-for-pound: Honor
Prefer: Benavidez is different from the rest here. He relies more on relentless pressure and heavy punches than technique to take down and often stop his opponents. He is one of the most destructive offensive forces in the sport, as he once again shows by chasing and ultimately dominating former owner Caleb Plant in his biggest win last month. That’s why Mike Tyson has called him the “Mexican Monster”. However, his boxing abilities should not be underestimated. There is a method to his madness. He’s the most accurate puncher in the sport, hitting a 38.4% match rate when in a match against Plant. He hit 38.1% in that game. And, again, he’s #2 on the plus and minus list, ahead of stars like Lomachenko, Bivol, Davis and Noaya Inoue. The bottom line: Benavidez is an excellent all-around boxer.
Dislike: The unanimous decision victory over Plant is an important achievement but Benavidez doesn’t have a deep background. It may take a meeting with the likes of Jermall Charlo or Canelo Alvarez to leave no doubt that he belongs among the best in the business. The question is: Do the biggest names want to get tangled up in this monster?
