Former world champion James Toney has dismissed Shakur Stevenson’s pound-for-pound credentials, claiming the four-division champion has failed to face top-level opposition. Toney named David Benavidez as boxing’s top fighter while questioning Stevenson’s standing among the sport’s elite.
Speaking to About Boxing, Toney questioned Stevenson’s fight record directly. “For what? What has he done?” Toney said. Toney selected David Benavidez as boxing’s premier fighter before dismissing Stevenson’s claims to the pound-for-pound crown. While Toney previously focused his criticism on Stevenson’s safety-first ring style, his latest assessment focuses strictly on the calibre of Stevenson’s opponents.
Toney urged the four-division champion to pursue defining matchups rather than relying on contractual leverage. “If you want to be top dog, fight the best fighters out there. Don’t make excuses. I did. Roy did. Marvin Hagler did. Who does he have to fight? The likes of Devin Haney, Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis.”
Despite holding belts across four divisions, Stevenson’s career has yet to include clashes with Haney, Davis, Ryan Garcia, or Conor Benn. Negotiating demands have repeatedly proved an obstacle. Proposed terms for a bout against Haney included Stevenson demanding a 144-pound catchweight alongside a request for Haney to surrender his WBO welterweight title. Similar catchweight demands halted discussions for potential fights with both Garcia and Benn, leaving all three prospective fixtures unmade.
Matchmaking patterns have drawn further scrutiny. Stevenson initially signaled interest in facing Lamont Roach Jr. when Roach looked like a manageable opponent stepping up from the lightweight division. However, that enthusiasm vanished after William Zepeda delivered a dominant performance against Roach.
Toney operated under a fundamentally different approach during his career, stepping up from middleweight through super middleweight, light heavyweight, and cruiserweight before reaching heavyweight. He defeated Vassiliy Jirov to win the IBF cruiserweight title and subsequently stopped Evander Holyfield without requiring his heavier opponent to undergo artificial weight drain. Having routinely accepted physical disadvantages, Toney retains little regard for manufactured weight limits.
Stevenson showed his capability at higher weights by dominating Teofimo Lopez at 140 pounds. But for a boxer aiming to secure unanimous pound-for-pound recognition, willing participation against top-tier rivals on even terms remains the benchmark.
