Prentice Brewer, the coach of American heavyweight prospect Jared Anderson (17-0, 15 KOs), commented on the challenges faced by the team of WBC lightweight champion (up to 61.2 kg) Shakur Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs).
Brewer on Selecting Opponents for Stevenson:
"His defense is impeccable. I've tried to hit him in sparring, but he has an excellent sense of distance. The thing about Shakur is he never slacks off. That's one of the things that make him such a great fighter. He’s always in control. Some fighters might get caught sleeping and get hit, but not him, he’s always alert. It's simple and clear—no one wants to fight this guy. The only one who has said he wants to face him and will eventually do so is Gervonta," said Brewer.
Anderson and Stevenson are friends. Shakur even carried one of Jared's belts into the ring in a previous fight. Shakur last fought in 2023 and does not yet have a named opponent for his next match. Gervonta is likely to box against Frank Martin in the summer of 2024.