Who is Shakur Stevenson?
Joe sits down with Shakur Stevenson, a professional boxer, four-time world champion, and Olympic medalist.
TLDR — Key Topics and Moments
- 01Shakur Stevenson dominated Teofimo Lopez in their fight, showcasing elite boxing IQ, defense, and tactical brilliance that made a world champion look out of place
- 02Stevenson credits early training at age 5, God-given ability, intense discipline, and sparring with Terence Crawford as key factors in becoming boxing's most complete fighter
- 03He intentionally fought differently against William Zapata to earn respect from judges, but refuses to take unnecessary damage going forward to preserve his long-term health and faculties
- 04Stevenson views Terence Crawford as one of the greatest boxers ever and credits sparring with him since age 19 as instrumental in elevating his entire game
- 05He discussed how sparring with Lomachenko years earlier likely prevented a professional fight, as Lomachenko probably wouldn't want to face a bigger, stronger version of someone who already tested him
- 06Stevenson's main goal is to leave boxing financially secure and mentally intact, using fighters like Floyd Mayweather and Andre Ward as examples of how to exit the sport properly
The Show
Joe sits down with Shakur Stevenson to break down his absolutely dominant performance against Teofimo Lopez, a fight that had Joe literally yelling at his TV because of how clinical and beautiful the striking was. This wasn't a slugfest, this was a masterclass in setting traps, avoiding damage, and making a world champion look completely outmatched. Stevenson explains that his approach comes from starting boxing at age 5, natural ability, and relentless discipline. He credits his grandfather as his coach and the energy his family brings to fight week as crucial elements that keep him dialed in.
One interesting thing Stevenson brings up is that his performance against Lopez was only about 70 percent of what he's actually capable of in the gym. He talks about having days in training where he does things that surprise even himself, which is the kind of mentality that separates all-time greats from just very good fighters. Joe digs into how Stevenson maintains that level of discipline year after year, something most fighters struggle with after achieving championship status. The conversation naturally shifts to Terence Crawford, who Stevenson has been sparring with since he was 19 years old. He calls Crawford one of the greatest boxers of all time and credits those sparring sessions as massively important to his development, saying Crawford brought his game to a completely different level just by being around him and picking up on little things.
They talk about how Stevenson sparred Lomachenko years back and how that might have actually prevented them from ever fighting professionally. Shakur felt like he was outboxing Lomachenko in those sessions but admitted the conditioning gap was real, especially over 12 rounds. The thing is, now that Shakur is bigger and stronger, Lomachenko probably wouldn't want any part of that fight knowing what Shakur can do. Joe and Shakur also discuss the importance of fighters like Andre Ward who knew when to walk away undefeated and with all their faculties intact, versus guys like Floyd who keep coming back because they need the money.
Stevenson's main goal is to make enough money that he never has to fight again if he doesn't want to. He doesn't want to be that guy who depends on boxing and has to take fights just to pay bills. The whole conversation is basically Shakur explaining why he's not just very good, but generationally talented, and how the combination of early training, natural ability, discipline, family support, and learning from fighters like Crawford and Ward has put him in a position to dominate his sport while actually protecting his brain and his future.
Key Moments
Best Quotes
"I feel like I'm the best fighter in boxing and I don't mean this in no disrespectful way. I feel like I'm a fighter that could do it all. I think I'm the most complete fighter in boxing."
"I started boxing at five. But honestly, when we fought, I felt like my brain just knew how to win. Like it just everything was just like my instincts kicked in and everything just took over. It felt like an out-of-body experience."
"With me, the God-given ability of my instincts always kick in. I felt like for the first eight rounds I'm good, but the last four rounds he started picking up the pace. It wasn't the skills, it was conditioning and throwing more punches."
"My biggest goal is to leave boxing and when I leave boxing be great enough financially to where I don't ever have to get back in the boxing ring. Once it's not fun no more, I don't want to have to take a 20 million dollar payday just because I need it."
"I'm already telling myself it's either me or him. My life or your life and one of us got to go. That's what keeps me sharp and focused on fight night."
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Full Transcript (click to expand)
Joe Rogan podcast. Check it out. >> The Joe Rogan Experience. >> TRAIN BY DAY. JOE ROGAN PODCAST BY NIGHT. All day. >> Well, uh, anyway, thanks for coming down here, man. Appreciate it. And congratulations on that standout performance against Tafimino because that was a that was a giant wakeup call for the entirety of boxing. The the level that you're on. Was it so high that you could be in there with a world champion? A world champion and make him a guy who beat >> Yeah. >> I mean, legit guys, including Lomachenko. >> Yeah. >> It was a big victory for him. And you made him look like he had no business in there. >> Honestly, it's just hard work, dedication, and um God-given ability. God-given ability. I think you have all that plus intelligence plus you start a real young and there's something about those dudes who start real young. You grow up with that. It's like in your central nervous system as you're a young child. >> Yeah. >> I mean, would you start boxing like five? >> I started boxing at five. But honestly, you could say the same for Tio, too, cuz he kind of started at like seven. Mhm. >> We both was kind of similar in like experience, but I just feel like with me, the God-given ability of my instincts always kick in. Like when we fought, I felt like my brain just knew how to win. Like it just everything was just like my instincts kicked in and everything just took over. Like I didn't even it it felt like an out-of- body experience. Well, you're a very tactical guy. Like, you know, there's a thing. One one of the things I love about watching you fight is I love watching a guy who sets traps and who avoids damage. And you are one of the absolute very best ever at setting traps and avoid damage. You take so few punches in your fights. Yeah. >> There was that one fight where you decid recent fight where you decided to stand with that dude. Who was that? Um >> William Zapeda. >> That's right. Zapeda is a tough guy, man. But you fought that in a different way. Did you do that on purpose? >> Uh, it was partly on purpose and partly to get his respect >> cuz I really ain't have a choice but to get his respect because if I try to outbox him and move around the ring, I probably would have made the fight harder than it had to be. So, I knew like I got to like make him respect me early. And that's what I kind of like started the fight hot. >> Why would it make it harder than it had to be if you boxed him? Because sometimes when you like a guy like if you watch today's boxing judges give the fight to mostly the guys that's coming forward. So if I have went in there and bagging up and moving around around the ring while he was more active, it probably would have looked as though he's winning the fight. >> So I had to make sure like the judges know who's winning. So I kind of had to take some in order to give some in that fight. It was a very unusual fight for you. I I I saw an interview with you after that fight be like, I'm not fighting like that again. [ __ ] that. >> Yeah, cuz I know like I see like the modern day like the the old school boxers and like the punishment that they taking and you'll see them today. They can't really talk as well as like like the Andre Wars and the Floyd Mayweather who can talk good and >> still articulate things to their grandparents, to their grandchildren, to their children. And >> for me personally, it's like I want to make sure that I'm >> able to really speak >> well to my kids and my grandkids and all of that. So >> taking punishment ain't for me. Right. >> Yeah, I support that 100% and I applaud fighters like you for setting an example for young fighters coming up. Like defense and tactics and understanding the game is the most important thing. These guys that want to put on an entertaining fight and just go in there and slug it out. Like man, you are giving up your brain for some people who don't give a [ __ ] about you. >> About you. Oh my god. That's the God's honest truth right there. I'll be seeing a lot of fighters nowadays where they stand there like punching bags and let people hit on them and you'll see them after the fight they marked up and few in a few years I don't think that they're going to be able to speak as well as like somebody like me. No, there's a bunch of examples of that. Obviously, we could all see it. But, you know, it's a complicated sport and for people that don't understand the sport and don't appreciate the sport, they just see two dudes punching each other, but they don't see subtle movements. And you were doing this like half out jab and then popping them with it. And you could tell he had no idea it was coming. It was so frustrating for Tafimo. was watching. I was like I there was a bunch of times where I was watching. I just was yelling out by myself in my house going woo that check right hook. Oh, it was so pretty, man. You you hit him with some pretty shot. But it was it was just you were just tuning him up. It was it was a beautiful perf...
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