Stevenson and Mayweather Cut From the Same Cloth

Shakur Steven and Floyd Mayweather Jr. both shined as professionals after disappointment at the end of their amateur careers. Despite having strong runs at different Olympic games, both men fell short of gold medals. Once each guy turned professional, they displayed their all-around excellence in multiple weight divisions.

Mayweather was a top pay-per-view draw who has participated in his fair share of exhibition bouts since retiring following a glorified exhibition with Conor McGregor in 2017. But while younger people may know Mayweather for some of the more bizarre fights he’s taken seriously, Mayweather was no joke as a professional.

Mayweather held 15 different world championships across multiple weight divisions. Stevenson is well on his way to doing the same. He has already won the first 21 fights of his career and has picked up championships at super featherweight and lightweight, according to boxing news  & results.

Mayweather Driven By Upbringing

Mayweather grew up splitting time between Grand Rapids, Michigan, and New Brunswick, New Jersey. Both of his parents had issues with drugs. His dad, Floyd Sr., would eventually go to prison for selling drugs, while his mom had a serious drug addiction. 

When his dad went to jail, Mayweather continued to work on his boxing to help support his mom. Mayweather adopted an old-school technique taught by his father and uncle that would help make him the dynamic boxer he would become. Often utilizing the shoulder roll during fights allowed Mayweather to deflect or twist away from punches easily.

Mayweather would put up an 84-9 record during his amateur career. He would qualify for the U.S. Olympic boxing team at featherweight for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Mayweather lost in the semifinals to Bulgaria’s Serafim Todorov. It was a surprising decision as the referee had started to raise Mayweather’s hand when the decision was ready because he thought Mayweather had won. Mayweather would settle for a bronze medal and would start his professional career shortly after.

First Championship Bout Ends with Success

Mayweather took three years to earn his first opportunity at a world championship. After 17 straight wins to open his career, Mayweather fought Genaro Hernández on Oct. 3, 1998, for the WBC super featherweight title. Mayweather dominated the fight and forced Hernández to quit on the stool after the eighth round. After a long run at super featherweight, Mayweather decided to pump up to lightweight in 2002. He won the WBC lightweight title by beating José Luis Castillo to improve to 28-0 in his career.

Close Call with De La Hoya

Mayweather showed he had a strong box office drawing power in May 2007 when he fought Oscar De La Hoya for the WBCS super welterweight title. Mayweather would win a narrow split decision. The event itself sold 2.4 million pay-per-view buys, which beat the record set by Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson’s second fight.

This was the beginning of a strong run of Mayweather being involved in superfights. He would have a prolonged negotiation with Manny Pacquaio to try to bring the two men together for a fight. The big sticking point between the two sides was drug testing.

After years and years of negotiating, the two men would finally fight in May 2015. Despite both men being toward the end of their careers, there was still a large amount of interest in the fight. The matchup would end up raking in $4.4 million in pay-per-view sales, which set the United States record by bringing in $410 million in revenue.

Mayweather won the fight by unanimous decision. When Mayweather retired, he finished with a 50-record. He also finished with 27 knockouts, according to the latest trending boxing news.

Stevenson Falls Just Short of Gold

Stevenson reached the gold medal match of the 2016 Rio Olympics at bantamweight. He ended up losing to Robeisy Ramirez of Cuba in the finals. Stevenson, a New Jersey native, made his professional debut not long after. It didn’t exactly end in a glorious fashion.

Stevenson won the fight by technical decision in the sixth round after a clash of heads with his opponent, Edgar Brito, forced a stop to the fight. Stevenson would end up getting his first title shot in January 2019 when he fought Jessie Cris Rosales for the IBF Intercontinental and WBC Continental America feather titles. He would win the bout by fourth-round TKO to improve to 10-0.

Stevenson Looks to Impress Fans

Stevenson won his first world championship when he beat Joet Gonzalez by unanimous decision in October 2019. What Stevenson has been looking for since beating Gonzalez by decision is the fight that will draw eyeballs. He won the WBO super featherweight title over Jamel Herring with a 10th-round TKO.

Stevenson bumped up in weight again to beat Edwin De Los Santos for the WBC lightweight title in Nov. 2023, but Stevenson’s performance was panned. He dominated with his technical superiority, but neither Stevenson nor his opponent was very active.

Stevenson is 21-0 with 10 knockouts in his career.

Can Two Careful Fighters Let Loose?

Stevenson and Mayweather aren’t brawlers. Both men have faced some minor criticism for not putting the pressure on opponents to force a stoppage to fights. But there are people who appreciate the technical aspect of boxing and appreciate what both men bring to the table.

Mayweather showed throughout his career that his style could win at any weight class. He has picked up impressive wins over Ricky Hatton, Canelo Alvarez, Pacquaio, and De La Hoya during his career. Mayweather was usually willing to take on top contenders if the money was right.

Some of Mayeather’s legacy is tarnished by not being able to get the Pacquaio fight on the schedule earlier. Stevenson still has a lot to prove in his career. He has already shown a knack for technical prowess. What Stevenson lacks is that super fight against another generational talent.

Seeing if Stevenson could crack Mayweather’s defense would make for fabulous theater. It would be a strong measuring stick fight for both men, according to online boxing news.

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