While widely celebrated as one of the most brilliant and accomplished modern technicians the sport of boxing has ever seen, unified heavyweight great Oleksandr Usyk has thrown his expert endorsement behind another active fighter, identifying him as the absolute pinnacle of technical mastery in the sport today. As a pure boxer whose career has been defined by his exceptional footwork, sharp angles, and tactical intelligence, the Ukrainian champion is uniquely positioned to evaluate technical brilliance. His profound understanding comes from a lifetime of studying the sweet science and facing a vast array of elite fighting styles across multiple weight classes.
During his illustrious amateur career, which culminated in Olympic gold at the 2012 London Games, Usyk came up against the world’s elite, learning to decipher every conceivable stylistic puzzle thrown his way. As a professional, his appetite for legacy-defining challenges has remained entirely unflagging, driving him to conquer divisions where others feared to tread. His journey began with a magnificent run at cruiserweight, where his supreme ring IQ and stamina allowed him to clear out the division. That unforgettable run featured a majority-decision tactical chess match against a savvy and dangerous Mairis Briedis, followed by a masterclass performance where Usyk was simply too slick for the hard-hitting Murat Gassiev, securing a dominant points victory to win the World Boxing Super Series final and claim undisputed status.
Not content with conquering the 200-pound limit, Usyk ascended to the heavyweight division, where conventional wisdom suggested he would be too small to deal with boxing’s giants. Defying those expectations, Usyk achieved the unthinkable by becoming a three-time, two-division undisputed king. His heavyweight resume reads like a who’s who of modern boxing greats, anchored by two masterclass wins apiece over Tyson Fury, Anthony Joshua, and Daniel Dubois. Across these grueling encounters, Usyk faced formidable punchers, towering physical specimens, and relentless pressure fighters, continually proving that superior technique and strategic discipline can neutralize almost any physical disadvantage.
Yet, even with a career built on out-maneuvering the very best fighters of his generation, the Ukrainian maestro has looked across the current boxing landscape and singled out a fellow southpaw as the supreme technician competing today. Usyk has publicly identified Shakur Stevenson as the fighter possessing the most refined and flawless technique in the sport.
As a competitor roughly a decade younger than Usyk, Stevenson is currently right in the absolute thick of his athletic prime. Already a multi-division world champion, the American has established himself as a dominant force in professional boxing, capturing world titles across four different weight classes while rarely showing any signs of vulnerability. In achieving these remarkable milestones, Stevenson has often made the sport look deceptively easy, navigating his way through high-stakes bouts with a defensive wizardry and precision punching that prevents him from ever truly breaking a sweat. His recent performances at the elite level, including hard-fought and tactical masterclasses that resulted in clear unanimous decision victories over dangerous contenders like William Zepeda and Edwin De Los Santos, underscore his extraordinary command of distance, defense, and timing.
Given this glittering resume and unmatched defensive efficiency, it comes as little surprise that Usyk holds the outrageously skilled American in such high regard. Speaking in an interview with DAZN, Usyk made his stance crystal clear, affirming his belief that Stevenson commands the most pristine technique of any active fighter currently lacing up gloves.
While boxing analysts and purists often debate this distinction, frequently tossing other elite names like Dmitry Bivol and Devin Haney into the same conversation regarding pure technical excellence, it is remarkably difficult to argue against the choice of Stevenson. As a fixture in the top five of the sport’s pound-for-pound rankings, the American continues to set a standard for hittability-defying defense and ring generalship. When an active legend like Oleksandr Usyk—a fighter whose entire legacy is built upon superior craftsmanship inside the squared circle—points to Shakur Stevenson as the ultimate technician of the modern era, it serves as the highest possible validation of the young champion’s extraordinary skills.
