We had a dilemma.
We normally don’t like to elevate pound-for-pound fighters unless they defeat an opponent who is also on our Boxing Junkie list, which is the best way to prove you belong.
There are exceptions, though. Sometimes a boxer gives such a sublime performance that he simply has to be rewarded.
That’s the case with No. 13-ranked Shakur Stevenson, who was nearly flawless in his sixth-round knockout of previously unbeaten Shuichiro Yoshino in Stevenson’s 135-pound debut Saturday in Newark New, Jersey.
Stevenson gave a hit-and-not be-hit clinic, picking a pitiful Yoshino apart from a perfect distance and taking almost nothing in return.
And he showed us something for which he’s not known, punching power. He put Yoshino down twice and ultimately landed so many hard, damaging blows that referee Allen Huggins had no choice but to stop the fight.
OK, Yoshino isn’t on the level of Gervonta Davis (No. 10), Vasiliy Lomachenko (No. 11), Devin Haney (No. 15) or the like. He’s a good, proven fighter, though. And he was overwhelmed.
Where does that leave Stevenson?
We feel he earned the right to leap frog Lomachenko and No. 12 Artur Beterbiev, lifting him to No. 11 on Boxing Junkie’s pound-for-pound list.
A bonus to our decision is that Lomachenko’s fate is in his own hands. If the former three-division champion defeats undisputed 135-pound champ Haney on May 20, he likely would jump back into the Top 10.
And remember: Stevenson’s biggest fights lie ahead of him, which means he’ll have opportunities to demonstrate that he is truly what he believes he is — the best fighter in the world.
Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 13 Shakur Stevenson is scheduled to Shuichiro Yoshino in a 135-pound bout on Apri 8 in Newark, New Jersey.
Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:
BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND
- Terence Crawford – Reportedly has re-entered talks to face No. 4 Errol Spence Jr. for the undisputed 147-pound championship but deal has been reached.
- Naoya Inoue – Scheduled to challenge 122-pound titleholder and Honorable Mention Stephen Fulton Jr. on July 25 in Tokyo.
- Oleksandr Usyk – No fight scheduled.
- Errol Spence Jr. – Reportedly has re-entered talks to face No. 1 Terence Crawford for the undisputed 147-pound championship but deal has been reached..
- Dmitry Bivol – Expected to defend his 175-title against Canelo Alvarez in a rematch in September but no agreement has been reached..
- Tyson Fury – Reportedly considering a title defense against former beltholder Andy Ruiz Jr. in the summer but that seems to be only one option.
- Juan Francisco Estrada – No fight scheduled.
- Canelo Alvarez– Scheduled to defend his undisputed 168-pound championship against John Ryder on May 6 in Guadalajara, Mexico.
- Jermell Charlo – Expected to defend his undisputed 154-pound championship against top contender Tim Tszyu this summer but no agreement is in place.
- Gervonta Davis – Scheduled to face Ryan Garcia in a 136-pound bout on April 15 in Las Vegas.
- Vasiliy Lomachenko – Scheduled to challenge undisputed 135-pound champion Devin Haney on May 20 in Las Vegas.
- Artur Beterbiev – No fight scheduled.
- Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
- Roman Gonzalez – No fight scheduled.
- Devin Haney – Scheduled to defend his undisputed 135-pound championship against Vasiliy Lomachenko on May 20 in Las Vegas..
Honorable mention (alphabetical order): David Benavidez (no fight scheduled); Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Stephen Fulton Jr. (scheduled to defend his 122-pound title against No. 2 Naoya Inoue on July 25 in Tokyo); Kazuto Ioka (reportedly scheduled to challenge 115-pound titleholder Joshua Franco in June in Japan but no announcement has been made); Josh Taylor (scheduled to defend his WBO 140-pound title against Teofimo Lopez on June 10 in New York).
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