Terence Crawford has a closer relationship with Shakur Stevenson than almost anyone who has discussed the WBC lightweight champion in recent weeks, so his views on the young fighter and his situation hold some weight.
I had a chance to speak with Crawford on Wednesday, July 10. The future Hall-of-Famer answered a few questions about Stevenson’s situation and discussed his upcoming opportunity to win a world title at 154 pounds against WBA regular champion Israil Madrimov.
What did Crawford make of the controversial camera shot that showed fans leaving the Prudential Center in Stevenson’s hometown of Newark, New Jersey, before the end of his successful title defense against Artem Harutyunyan?
“Those ain’t real supporters,” Crawford said. He was there in the arena as he and fellow great Andre Ward accompanied Stevenson to the ring along with Chicago rapper G-Herbo.
“You can’t worry about those individuals. It was kind of odd how all of those people got up at the same exact time and walked out. Seemed to me as if it was planned. At the same time, who cares? They all paid their money to see him fight. He looked sharp and won with flying colors, so be it.”
You can take a look at the entire interview below.
Crawford wasn’t the only person to comment on the timing of ESPN’s camera shot, almost intimating that Top Rank, who has a deal with the network, was attempting to sabotage Stevenson as his agreement with them was ending.
Former world champion Andre Berto took to X to comment on this situation and called Top Rank and ESPN petty for their actions.
World champion Claressa Shields also took to X to say that fans left after the main event, not during Stevenson’s fight.
I was not in the arena. I watched on ESPN, and the video of fans walking out was shown before the end of the fight. It was closer to the ninth or 10th round. Even those who dispute the legitimacy of the walkout videos have to acknowledge the boos that could be heard during the fight as well.
I don’t believe there is a legitimate or sensible argument against the concept that many fans found the fight boring. The truth is, people were leaving early and booing, but it did appear Top Rank and ESPN were trying to point a finger as if to say, “see, this is why we don’t value him enough to offer a bigger deal than the five-fight, $15 million pact Stevenson turned down.
However, Crawford didn’t spend much time challenging that thought in our conversation. Crawford points out the age-old conundrum that skilled fighters like Stevenson have had to navigate for decades.
Do I use my superior talents to hit and not get hit, which gives the fighter the best chance to win, preserve their health, and enjoy longevity in the sport, or do I go balls to the wall and fight more recklessly to be more entertaining?
Until now, Stevenson has elected to be the former, and I do not blame him. If I had a son or daughter who was a boxer as talented as Stevenson and this style was an option, it is the way I would want them to fight, too.
That said, fans aren’t required to be experts or purists for the sports or things they pay their money to enjoy. Fans get to be ignorant, ill-informed, and entirely off base while maintaining a level of importance because their money powers any given entertainment industry. Skilled professionals like Stevenson are forced to navigate this issue and, ideally, not take it personally.
However, Stevenson doesn’t always handle that part of the game gracefully. Stevenson has always been an athlete who wears his heart on his sleeve. His fans will love him for that, and his critics will use it as fuel.
Crawford tangles with Madrimov on Aug 3, and the BMO Center in Los Angeles in a historic event that marks the first fight backed and produced by Riyadh Season’s Turki Alalshikh in America.
Be on the lookout for coverage of the entire event as we get closer to the date.
