Stevenson On Inoue’s P4P Rank: Too Many “No-Names”

Shakur Stevenson says he doesn’t have Naoya Inoue in his prime 3 pound-for-pound record as a result of he’s fought “no-names” since his one good win towards Stephen ‘Cool Boy Steph’ Fulton in 2023.

Stevenson makes a superb level. Inoue (30-0, 27 KOs) must be nowhere close to the highest 3 based mostly on the lackluster opposition he’s been padding his file towards. Even placing Naoya on the record can be going overboard. The highest 10 must be for fighters who’re taking dangers with their careers.

P4P: Inoue’s “No-Title” Foes

– Ramon Cardenas– Ye Joon Kim– TJ Doheny– Luis Nery– Marlon Tapales

Inoue has been gradual in combating Murodjon Akhmadaliev and Junto Nakatano. Each are in and round his weight class, but he’s not chosen to battle them. What does that inform you? Naoya ought to have fought these guys a very long time in the past as a substitute of the middle-of-the-road opposition that he’s been feasting on.

Stevenson Excludes Inoue High 3

“High pound-for-pound, I might go along with Bud Crawford. I like Bivol. I don’t suppose folks give him credit score. He two of the largest names in boxing. He dominated each of these fights [Artur Beterbiev] to me,” stated Shakur Stevenson to the Ariel Helwani channel. “#3, I’m going to go along with Usyk, and I do know he can’t actually be a pound-for-pound.”

I’ve to disagree with Shakur on placing Terence Crawford at #1 pound-for-pound. He hasn’t crushed anybody adequate to even be on the highest 15 record. He arguably misplaced his final battle towards Israil Madrimov.

“With Inoue, he had that one battle with ‘Cool Boy Steph’ [Stephen Fulton], and he did good in that battle. He seemed good. They crucified me for combating no-name fighters and fighters folks don’t know. I felt like he sort of performed the identical factor,” stated Shakur about Naoya Inoue.

Fulton was too weak to do a lot in his battle with Inoue. That was a mismatch in energy greater than something. Inoue ought to have moved to 126 after that battle.

“That’s true,” stated Stevenson when instructed there’s not that many fighters the place Inoue fights which can be adequate for him to get high quality names on his resume. Junto Nakatani, that’s the battle that must be made. If he beats that man, I’m positively placing him on the prime.

“Give me 10, 9,” stated Stevenson about the place he’d place himself on the pound-for-pound record.