Shakur Stevenson feels like nobody can defeat him inside the ring right now, and that apparently includes multi-division titlist and boxing’s cash cow Canelo Alvarez.
The WBO junior lightweight titlist from Newark, New Jersey, made the eyebrow-raising comments in regard to his upcoming 130-pound unification bout against WBC titlist Oscar Valdez on April 30 at the MGM’s Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Valdez trains alongside 168-pound unified champion Alvarez at Alvarez’s San Diego gym under the stewardship of Eddy Reynoso.
Stevenson, 24, doesn’t see the presence of Alvarez lending Valdez, 31, much of an advantage. That’s not surprising, given that Stevenson thinks he would beat Alvarez on a completely level playing field.
“It’s cool that he (Valdez) got Canelo there,” Stevenson told FightHub TV. “But Canelo can’t get in the ring and fight for him.
“Even if he could, if me and Canelo was at the same weight, I feel like I’ll beat him.”
If Stevenson was trying to troll his viewers, he didn't necessarily show it. Hardly breaking a smile, the defensive-oriented southpaw went on to give his reason why he thinks he would defeat the fighter many consider to be at the top of the sport today. Hint: it has to do with the boxing job Floyd Mayweather Jr. put on Alvarez back in 2013.
“Because I’m a great boxer,” Stevenson said. “I saw what Floyd did to him. The way he picked him apart. I feel like me personally I would do the same.
“At the end of the day I know people are going to hate me for saying that, but I don’t really care. It is what it is. I just gotta be honest. I’m that confident in myself.”
Although Stevenson (17-0, 9 KOs) has a mentor-figure of sorts in WBO welterweight titlist Terence Crawford, he made it clear he does not rely on ‘Bud’ for advice the way he believes Valdez (30-0, 23 KOs) relies on Alvarez.
“We (Stevenson and Crawford) don’t really talk about this fight,” Stevenson said. “You know Bud, he know how I’m built. I don’t need Bud to be like right there with me, like how Canelo is with him. ‘Do this and do that.’ I don’t need that. I feel I’m my own fighter.
“I got my own game plan in my brain. I know how it’s gonna go and I’m gonna go and execute it.”
Alvarez is preparing to move up to the 175-pound division to take on WBA light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol on May 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
