Oscar De La Hoya has named one active fighter in particular as ‘the greatest fighter he has ever seen.’
‘The Golden Boy’ established himself as one of the best fighters of his generation throughout the peak of his career, which saw him win world titles in six weight classes.
He walked away victorious against the likes of Hector Camacho, Ike Quartey, Pernell Whitaker and Julio Cesar Chavez Sr during his tenure, although he did suffer his fair share of defeats, falling short to Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley to name a few.
Shortly after he was beaten by Pacquiao in the 45th and final bout of his career, De La Hoya shifted his focus to working as a promoter under the ‘Golden Boy Promotions’ banner, a company that he established himself in 2002.
Speaking to Club Shay Shay, ‘The Golden Boy’ spoke fondly of unbeaten three-weight world champion Shakur Stevenson, as he claims the 28-year-old is the ‘greatest fighter he’s ever seen’.
“I’ll give you a perfect example of a young fighter right now in that position – Shakur Stevenson. The greatest fighter I’ve ever seen. Beautiful style, great technique, has the punching power, has the chin, but he needs the confidence to fight. He has to believe in himself to put on a good show and sell seats. That’s the problem he’s having, he’s not selling seats. He’s a great fighter demanding all this money and fights are not being made.”
Stevenson has slowly emerged as one of the best fighters on the planet over the last few years, with many considering him to be the number one rated lightweight in boxing.
The 28-year-old from Newark currently holds the WBC world lightweight title, with his most recent defence coming against Mexico’s William Zepeda on July 12.
Stevenson is set to make the move up to 140lbs ahead of his next outing to challenge WBO super-lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez, as he sets his sights on becoming a world champion in a fourth division. The fight is set for January in New York, pending an official announcement.
