June 2026

FIGHT OF FANTASY: JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ VS. SHAKUR STEVENSON By Anson Wainwright

makes it more effective. “Who’s the best guy Shakur has fought so far? Teofimo [Lopez] was no good compared to [Meldrick Taylor and Pernell Whitaker]. “[Shakur is] patient, but against the likes of Chavez, I think he might be a little too patient. He wouldn’t push the pace. Taylor made the fight a little and made Chavez work a little more. Shakur sits there a little bit more and is more of a sitting duck. “I think Chavez would probably have success early on, and then I think Shakur would end up getting a little more comfortable with him. But I do think it would be a tough fight. “I would probably go with Chavez, possibly on points – more work rate and punches thrown, and also he’s very good defensively as well.” Prediction: Chavez by decision RUSS ANBER Hall of Fame trainer/cutman “I’ve got to say: There are fighters, whether it be a guy like Muhammad Ali, Roy Jones Jr. and to a degree Floyd Mayweather, who were so gifted and so talented and would have been greats in any era – and did things that were wrong and got away with it. They developed their own unique, inimitable style that nobody could emulate. In the case of Shakur Stevenson – and, as a trainer, to me, he is like the bible of boxing – he is the picture you would use when

you write the book about the sweet science: how to stand, how to put your hands, how to position yourself, defense, footwork, movement. He is so technically sound in the fundamentals of boxing. I don’t know how far back you would have to go to find somebody that was that technically sound and perfect. I’m in awe watching this guy work. “Julio was devastating. He was an aggressive, hard- punching body-puncher who came forward. He was what became the epitome of ‘Mexican style.’ He was very underrated in his defense. He had a lot of skill. He was quick and came to fight. “Based on technique, ring generalship, I’m going to have to go with Shakur on this. I think I’d be out to lunch if I said Shakur stops him, but I think he neutralizes all of the good things that Chavez could do. I think it’s a double-edged sword, because if [Chavez] tries to box and use his skills, the overall speed, combinations, and precision of Shakur outboxes him, and if he tries to take it to him, that plays into Shakur’s hands even more. The speed, the counterpunching, the reaction time of Shakur becomes even more important and maybe makes the job easier. It very well could look like Chavez-Pernell Whitaker.” Prediction: Stevenson by decision

was not the same guy he was earlier in his career – but when he fought guys earlier, he was such a pressure and volume puncher. He was constantly in your face, and I don’t think Shakur has seen anyone remotely like this. He has the ability to cut off the ring as good as maybe anybody I’ve seen. “As far as how the fight would work out, I think it’s a long fight. I think Shakur would have a big early edge, using his skills and speed. [Chavez was skilled] in cutting off the ring and forcing a fighter to fight him at some point, the angles and leverage he gets – and he had a variety of punches – and he has to get to Shakur, but I think eventually he would. It might take him four, five rounds, but when he starts landing that left hook to the body, he has a way of just grinding you down. I do believe the class level would eventually come to the fore. When Chavez fought Camacho, Camacho was a master mover, skilled, such speed, and I think this fight would [follow the same pattern]. Shakur would dominate for three, four rounds, and Chavez would begin grinding him down, wearing him down, taking away his speed, [and] take over the fight in the sixth or seventh round. I believe Chavez would stop Shakur around the 10th, 11th round of their fight.” Prediction: Chavez by KO

RICH MAROTTA Veteran broadcaster

“It’s really an interesting matchup. I see it breaking down into a couple of different dynamics, and there’s a clear contrast of styles in this fight. The other thing that’s at work here is Chavez being an all-time great against a guy who I see is very good, but I think he’s at his ceiling right now. I do not see Shakur as an all-time great fighter. “Shakur is a pure boxer- mover, and Julio is relentless – nonstop punching, pressure and mostly volume [punching]. “You think about who gave Julio trouble: Frankie Randall, skilled boxer; Pernell Whitaker – skill, speed, boxer, clever. Shakur possesses those qualities. [During] what I would consider the peak of Julio’s career, and I’m telling you, this dude was a handful, whether he fights a boxer or a guy that stands in front of him. I watched his fight with Edwin Rosario and his fight with Hector Camacho, and I think people forget – recency bias; you think of the last part of his career when he

B ack in March 1990, Julio Cesar Chavez cemented his legacy as one of the greats with a dramatic 12th- round stoppage of the marvelously talented Meldrick Taylor just two seconds before the final bell. The previously unbeaten 1984 Olympic gold medalist with lightning-fast hands was well ahead on two scorecards at the time of the controversial TKO. So, Chavez, who improved to 69-0, knows a thing or two about overcoming a difficult style matchup. Fast-forward to the mid-2010s, and along came the gifted and precociously skilled Shakur Stevenson. Imagine a scenario where these two world-beaters could meet at junior welterweight. It might look something like Chavez- Taylor, or perhaps the Mexican icon’s fight with Pernell Whitaker three and a half years later. Chavez won world titles at junior lightweight, lightweight and junior welterweight, only getting better as he moved up in weight. The Hall of Famer is still revered in his homeland today, embodying his country’s fighting spirit in the way he turned back huge challenges

over the course of a heyday that stretched from the mid-1980s to the mid-’90s. Roger Mayweather (TKO 2/TKO 10), Rocky Lockridge (MD 12), Edwin Rosario (TKO 11), Jose Luis Ramirez (TD 11), Taylor (TKO 12, TKO 8) and Hector Camacho (UD 12) are among the standouts Chavez defeated during his prime years. Like Taylor and Whitaker, Stevenson was a standout amateur, notably claiming Olympic silver in 2016. As a professional, he showed his superlative technique in winning a title at featherweight and then jumping to junior lightweight, where he unified titles and earned The Ring championship – all before his 20th fight. He migrated to lightweight and soon won a world title, and then earlier this year he became a four-weight titleholder and two-division Ring champion. The Newark southpaw holds impressive wins over Jamel Herring (TKO 10), Oscar Valdez (UD 12), William Zepeda (UD 12) and, most recently, a near-shutout decision over Teofimo Lopez (UD 12). Would Chavez be able to corner and break down Stevenson with his fabled left hook to the liver like he did so many during

his prime or would the fast hands and feet of Stevenson prove to be too much for Chavez to catch up with him?

JOSH TAYLOR Former Ring/undisputed junior welterweight champion “I think it’s a good fight. [Both] are very skillful. It’s a tough one. “Chavez was unbelievable. He was amazing! His offense was really clever as well as his defense. He let his combinations go, but they were so varied and at speed. He counterpunched while he was on the attack. “Shakur is patient and his footwork is never too far out of range, but he uses that to [create a] kind of Floyd Mayweather [meets] Philly shell-type defense – it’s kind of a mixture of the two; he integrates the two styles, which I think is good, which

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Questions and/or comments can be sent to Anson at elraincoat@live.co.uk, and you