Shakur Stevenson has put Floyd Mayweather Jr at the center of a prime-versus-prime debate over Terence Crawford, saying Mayweather Jr could have been the one fighter to beat him. Stevenson called the matchup a 50/50 fight, but said he would lean toward Mayweather Jr if the two met at their best.
The comments matter because Crawford has only just stepped away from the ring after 42 fights without a defeat, and he leaves as boxing’s fifth five-division world champion after beating Canelo Alvarez in September. That record has revived the old question of where Crawford fits among the sport’s all-time greats, and Stevenson’s answer gives the debate a sharper edge.
Stevenson’s reasoning was technical rather than emotional. He said Mayweather Jr struggled with southpaws early in his career, and argued Crawford would probably be a southpaw in that matchup, which could have altered the rhythm of the fight. That alone, in Stevenson’s view, was enough to make the pairing difficult to call.
He also pointed to moments that kept him from treating Crawford as untouchable. Stevenson said he had seen Crawford have little issues with Egidijus Kavaliauskas, and noted that Yuriorkis Gamboa was winning some rounds against him. Those examples, he said, were why he could not simply hand Crawford the edge even while recognizing how close the fight might have been.
There is still a wrinkle in Stevenson’s own assessment. He was willing to say Mayweather Jr could have been the one fighter to beat Crawford, but he stopped short of calling it a clear upset or a sure thing. The result is a rare public verdict that elevates both men at once: Crawford as a finished great, and Mayweather Jr as the one name Stevenson believes could have matched him blow for blow.
For now, that argument will live on as part of the broader talk around Crawford’s legacy. Mayweather Jr’s 50-fight win streak remains intact, though a mooted September rematch with Manny Pacquiao would put it at risk if it becomes a professional contest. Stevenson’s comments do not settle the question. They do make clear that, in his view, the answer is not just about records, but about styles, timing and who shows up on the night.
