Shakur Stevenson has ability to surpass Floyd Mayweather — Bob Arum

Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum believes that former two-division champion Shakur Stevenson has what it takes to surpass the career of retired five-division champion Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Stevenson, unbeaten as a professional boxer with a record of 19-0 with 9 knockouts, is a 2016 Olympic silver medalist and is coming off a unanimous decision nod over Robson Conceicao last September.

“Talent-wise, he’s magnificent. You have to give Floyd credit. He had a tremendous career,” Arum, who promoted Mayweather in the past, told Boxingscene.

“To surpass Mayweather’s career takes a lot. Now, I think Shakur has the ability. Whether he wants to work as hard as Floyd did, both marketing himself and fighting, is up to Shakur.”

The 45-year-old Mayweather, meanwhile, retired from boxing in 2017 with an unblemished record of 50-0 with 27 knockouts. Though he called it quits from the pro scene, Mayweather still made trips back to the ring for exhibition bouts after his retirement.

According to Arum, Mayweather and Stevenson live in the same hemisphere in terms of technique.

“Great, great technicians. They can sit down and fight if they have to but their boxing skills are enormous. Both of them,” Arum said.

“Obviously, Floyd with his long career but Shakur is demonstrating this fantastic boxing ability that very few fighters are blessed with.”

—JMB, GMA News