“I’ve never seen a fighter with the kind of defense that Shakur Stevenson has. For me, that includes Floyd Mayweather.” That was Shawn Porter a few months ago on The PorterWay Podcast, boldly placing Shakur Stevenson’s defensive mastery even above Floyd Mayweather. But most didn’t agree with Porter’s analogy. For many, the WBC lightweight champion was and is simply boring. Just last week, even Rolando Romero claimed that Shakur was the “most boring fighter” and that watching him box would “put anybody to sleep.” For the Newark native, opinions often swing between the two extremes. So, who’s right? Terence Crawford stepped in to settle the debate—and he didn’t hold back.

During ‘The Punch Podcast’ appearance yesterday, Terence Crawford sat down for an interview that quickly turned contentious. When a fan asked him to choose between Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta Davis, the Omaha native didn’t hesitate: “Shakur [Stevenson].” A fan, sitting in the crowd, pushed back, accusing him of bias. But Bud Crawford doubled down. “I am not,” he replied. “There’s a reason why you don’t want to fight him.” That’s when a supposed Gervonta Davis fan shouted out: “He [Tank] said he[Shakur]’s going to run.” Taken aback at this reply, the two division undisputed champion quipped: “See, that’s why he don’t know much about boxing. It’s levels.”

The crowd was already buzzing. That was when Crawford decided to elaborate. “What is boxing?” Crawford asked the Tank fan. “Fighting,” the fan replied confidently, coming up to the front of the crowd. Bud shook his head. “That’s not fighting. Fighting ain’t even in the definition of boxing,” he shot back. Then came the lesson: “Hit and not get hit. It’s a science.” And just to make sure the message landed, he added, “I’m going to support my little brother,” a clear nod to Shakur Stevenson.

To further drive his point home, the 37-year-old stepped into the crowd. “What’s easier?” he asked. “Me standing in front of you going blow for blow or me hitting you and making sure that you can’t hit me? What’s harder?” The fan hesitated before answering, “Well, moving to hit and run.” Terence Crawford continued, “So if that’s harder, then what’s so bad about that. It’s harder for me to hit you and you not hit me. But it’s easier for me to sit here and fight right. It’s not a fight game!” 

Then came Crawford’s knockout argument. “You want to watch UFC.” he asserted. And the fan replied, “No.” Bud asserted again, “The Bare Knuckle Boxing?” The fan replied, “No. None of that.” Crawford asserted again, “You don’t want to watch boxing. You want to watch street fight,” while the fan kept negating the assertion. That’s when another fan shouted from behind, “Your boy’s a runner!” Taking on the whole crowd, Terence Crawford explained, “He’s [Shakur Stevenson] not running. It’s boxing.”

Explaining the difference between fighting and boxing, Crawford pulled out the strongest argument, and that involved the ‘Greatest.’ “So, did (Muhammad) Ali move?” he asked. “Yeah, he moved,” the fans agreed. “So, when Ali say flow like a butterfly, sting like a bee, what does that mean?” Crawford challenged. That seemed to finally dissuade the fans a bit.

At the end of the exchange, a fan took one last swing, asking, “Okay. Who wins? Keyshawn [Davis] or Shakur [Stevenson]?” And Bud answered, “Man. Listen, they’re my brothers.” Still not satisfied, one of the fans pressed further, “Yeah, but which one my brothers think is a better?” Crawford stayed composed and professional, while adding, “They’re my brothers. I’m not being biased. Cuz they both from my camp.”

For a while, at least, that should put an end to the argument. But a veteran trainer feels Shakur Stevenson still has ways to go.

Despite Terence Crawford’s endorsement, Shakur Stevenson still needs to find his edge, believes a trainer

A few days ago, FightHype caught up with Jose Benavidez Sr. to talk about the possibility of his son, David Benavidez, returning to 168 pounds for a long-awaited clash with Canelo Alvarez. But as the conversation wound down, it veered into different territory. When asked who he’d pick in a potential fight between Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Shakur Stevenson, Benavidez Sr. didn’t blink. “I am going to have to go with Tank,” he said confidently.

His reasoning? Experience and adaptability. “Because Tank has been fighting for a long time. He adjusted to every style there is,” Benavidez Sr. explained. “I think that’s the only reason I will go with Tank because it will be a great fight. Super exciting and I hope it happens. That would be another great fight.” While he remains high on Davis’ potential, his son, David Benavidez, offered a more nuanced take during his appearance on the Pound 4 Pound podcast with Kamaru Usman and Henry Cejudo.

Benavidez Jr. wasn’t completely sold on Tank’s latest performance, but he didn’t completely write him off either. “That wasn’t the same Gervonta Davis we’re used to seeing. Gervonta is a fu–ing beast bro,” the “Mexican Monster” said. So, with camps split and fans debating, the question is: Are Shakur Stevenson’s slick moves really reminiscent of Muhammad Ali? Or did Terence Crawford lean a little too hard into brotherly love in his friend’s defense?