Shakur Stevenson’s ascent in the boxing world was catalyzed by his silver medal performance at the 2016 Olympics, mirroring Floyd Mayweather’s own Olympic breakthrough with a bronze in 1996. Yet, that parallel merely scratches the surface of the striking resemblances between Shakur Stevenson and the illustrious Floyd Mayweather. Even former world champion Shawn Porter has acknowledged the uncanny similarities.
“First time I ever watched him spar, I went to the gym and told him—I was going to come up and watch him spar,” Porter recalled in an interview with Ring Magazine just as the WBC lightweight champion is about to square off against interim titleholder William Zepeda on 12th July at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens. And what he saw cemented his belief that Stevenson could be Mayweather’s second coming.
“[Stevenson] got in the ring with a mover that likes to use speed,” Porter said. “… For some reason, the kid stops moving and stops using his speed.” Porter explained this motivated him to watch how the Newark native does against his next sparring partner, who was a come-forward, pressure puncher, resembling Zepeda’s fighting style. “He stops that guy from doing everything that he does, and it happened in like less than a minute,” Porter was both stunned and impressed.
April 8, 2023, Newark, New Jersey, USA: SHAKUR STEVENSON celebrates after defeating Shuichiro Yoshino in a WBC Lightweight Final Eliminator bout at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. Newark USA – ZUMAp109 20230408_zaf_p109_006 Copyright: xJoelxPlummerx
He added, “My point is, and we’ve seen this from Floyd Mayweather, some fighters have the ability to just simply stop you from doing what you do.” Porter didn’t want to reduce Stevenson to a mere comparison, but he could not ignore what was unfolding in front of his very eyes. “We’ve seen it before in Floyd, he has a lot of similarities to Floyd…,” the former world champion said. This moment from the past also fuels Porter’s prediction for the upcoming fight.
He firmly believes that Stevenson will “completely turn off” Zepeda’s abilities, a warning Porter issued to the interim champion. Whether Stevenson can live up to Porter’s prediction is yet to be seen, but Porter isn’t alone in his claims.
Former promoter saw the parallels between Shakur Stevenson and Floyd Mayweather
Since 1966, Bob Arum has seen many boxers pass through his stable, but few have reminded him of Floyd Mayweather quite like Shakur Stevenson. Though ‘Sugar’ left Top Rank in July 2024, Porter’s claims are reminiscent of what the 96-year-old promoter had to say back in 2020. “When I first marveled at Floyd’s ability, and I saw Shakur, [I thought], ‘My God, it’s like the mirror!’” Arum told Business Insider.
Sept 16,2011- Las Vegas NV. USA. Floyd Mayweather Jr. weighs in at 146 pounds for his upcoming fight with Victor Ortiz for the WBC welterweight title this Saturday night at the MGM grand hotel in Las Vegas. Floyd Mayweather Jr. weighs in at 146 pounds for his upcoming fight with Victor Ortiz for the WBC welterweight title this Saturday night at the MGM grand hotel in Las Vegas. – ZUMAbl1_
“Floyd was an orthodox fighter… Shakur Stevenson is a southpaw, but he’s a mirror image of Floyd Mayweather,” Arum continued. Even though Mayweather has accomplished things that are difficult to replicate, the veteran promoter claimed Stevenson would do even better. “He is going to develop not only as this great defensive fighter, but will have a better offensive arsenal.”
If what Shawn Porter and Bob Arum have to say about Shakur Stevenson is true, William Zepeda is in deep trouble. Mayweather went undefeated—can Zepeda stop Stevenson from doing the same, saving Mayweather from watching the next gen rise above him? Or do you think it’s all a big coincidence?
The post Former Champ Compares Shakur Stevenson to Floyd Mayweather in Dire Warning to William Zepeda appeared first on EssentiallySports.