Roy Jones Jr Names Fighter With Best Chance of Beating Shakur Stevenson

Shakur Stevenson further established himself as one of the pound-for-pound best fighters in the sport of boxing with a shutout win over Teofimo Lopez in January.

The unanimous decision victory in New York made Stevenson a three-division world champion, with huge fights on the horizon for the Newark fighter.

Names such as Ryan Garcia and Conor Benn have been linked with Stevenson in 2026; however, boxing Hall of Famer Roy Jones Jr. was confident in picking one fighter to give the champion his toughest test.

Gervonta Davis has the best chance of beating Stevenson, says Jones Jr.

In a recent interview with Fight Hub TV, Jones Jr. was asked for his take on what is next for Stevenson in relation to a potential fight with Garcia.

Jones Jr. urged Garcia to pursue a fight with Stevenson next, as it is "the fight with the most money." As for Devin Haney, he believes 'The Dream' should take on Rolly Romero in a welterweight unification bout. Then, Garcia and Haney could meet for their highly anticipated rematch.

Although Jones Jr. was supportive of a fight between the pair next, he believes Gervonta "Tank" Davis poses the biggest threat to Stevenson.

"[Stevenson] is a tough call for anybody right now. I'm not going to tell you I think [Garcia] is going to beat Shakur... Tank has the best chance."
Roy Jones Jr.

Jones Jr. clarified that he did not necessarily think that Davis was going to beat Stevenson. However, out of potential opponents, he believes that 'Tank' has the strongest chance of winning.

The former multi-weight world champion said that Stevenson's ability to utilize his footwork was an asset that made him particularly hard to beat, drawing comparisons to Terence Crawford, Oleksandr Usyk, and Jarron Ennis. Jones Jr. then added:

"Tank does [use his footwork] too. Not many people today are using their feet. If you're not using your feet, or you don't understand how to use your feet, Shakur is a very tough job for you."
Roy Jones Jr on Gervonta Davis

When speaking about criticism of Stevenson's fighting style, Jones Jr. defended the fighter against claims that he was 'boring'.

"He fights a smart fight. He doesn't take stupid chances. He doesn't have to take stupid risks. He's a professional. He does what is necessary to get the job done. He's not trying to give you anything over the top."