Shakur Stevenson has soared up the pound-for-pound rankings in recent months, but despite his usual confidence, the Newark southpaw has admitted that he is not the best fighter on the planet at present.
Throughout last year, the debate for the best active boxer raged on and was left undecided, with fans unsure which of Terence Crawford, Oleksandr Usyk or Naoya Inoue deserved to be recognised as the pound-for-pound king.
However, with Crawford now retired, Usyk being 39-years-old and Inoue taking on his toughest test yet, there may soon be a time where a new contender can break through that threshold and be considered for top spot.
At present, Stevenson seems to be the man in close contention, having become the third-youngest four-division world champion of all time by schooling Teofimo Lopez and claiming the WBO super-lightweight crown back in January.
Now, Stevenson is seeking further success, expected to reign in the super-lightweight scene for years to come and hoping to become the undisputed champion of the division.
Yet, despite his recent plaudits, Stevenson recognises that he is not yet worthy of being named as the best boxer on the globe. Instead, on X, he stated that Usyk deserves the number one position in the pound-for-pound ratings.
“You’re one of my fav fighters in the sport right now champ the number 1 spot belongs to you @usykaa. My time is coming.”
Stevenson has also been linked to a move up to the welterweight scene and a possible clash with Ryan Garcia, where he could become the second-youngest quintuple champion in boxing history after Oscar De La Hoya.