Shakur Stevenson needs to shut his mouth - he couldn't lace Sugar Ray Robinson's boots

Before talking down the great Sugar Ray Robinson, the not so great Shakur Stevenson should take a look at himself.

Stevenson, who meets William Zapeda in New York in defence of his WBC lightweight title, dismissed Robinson as ‘buns’ during the build-up. Buns is not a compliment. According to Stevenson, Robinson could not defend and Terence Crawford would run rings round him.

Not at welterweight he wouldn’t. Besides, how would Stevenson know? He never takes a risk. The thing that annoys me about Stevenson is he fights so negatively. The self-preservation button is always on.

Does he have the intestinal fortitude Robinson had? Not a chance. Robinson went 40-and-O at welter before Jake La Motta handed him his first defeat. They fought five more times, Robinson winning the lot.

That’s what he did, he took on any challenge. Stevenson has 11 KOs in 23 unbeaten bouts. He does not go for it. Robinson went for it. Sugar Ray Leonard went for it. This guy is from the Floyd Mayweather Jnr school of safety-first fighting, but he is not in Pretty Boy’s class.

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The world is full of people who shout their mouths off, making outrageous claims. I’m afraid Stevenson slots into that category.

Until he gets close to achieving what Robinson did I’d advise him to stay silent. He has neither the record nor the respect that Robinson had. He has never been involved in exciting fights.

Zapeda is ideal for him, a typical Mexican, good chin, strong, keeps coming. He is predictable and easy to hit, so perfect for Stevenson to polish his record.

Though Zapeda has knocked out a lot of guys, none were high class. He beat Tevin Farmer, once via a split decision, the second by majority, in his two most recent outings. In his next fight, Farmer was smoked by Floyd Schofield in a round.

If Stevenson flattens Zapeda I might start listening. But I don’t see that happening. He’s all about easy headlines.

Robinson does not need me to speak for him. He is for many the best of all time. What defines a fighter for me is skill, stamina, courage and standing in the trenches when the punches are missing by millimetres and he is firing back.

I’ve never seen Stevenson do that. He is not fit to lace Robinson’s boots and has not earned the right to bitch about an all-time great.

Talk is cheap. So bore off Shakur and come back when you have achieved half of what Sugar Ray did.

**Follow Barry on X at @ClonesCyclone @mcguigan’s_Gym