Shakur Stevenson says he wants people to call him “the best fighter in the world” when he sees him defend his WBC lightweight title against Floyd Schofield on next month's February 22 card in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The fight will be shown live on DAZN PPV and will be watched by many fans. This is Shakur's big chance to expand his fanbase by making a show and stealing the thunder from the main event between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol.

“World's Best”

“I dominate. I don't have close fights. You see me go up one, two, three, four, five, six rounds and then it comes to a point where somebody wants to end it. They want a knockout, or there will be a lot of criticism,” said Shakur Stevenson. Second outResponds to those who criticize his fighting style, labeling him 'boring'.

“I sit in the pocket a lot. My last fight (Artem Harutyunyan), I sat in the pocket. If he becomes destructive, I have to put him in his place,” Shakur said of Floyd Schofield. “I will fight those people. I will fight with Ryan. I'll fight Devin or Teo. None of those guys. If they want to fight me, I will fight them.

“I'm the best fighter in the world,” Shakur said when asked when he fought Schofield on Feb. 22 in Riyadh. “I know I'm the best fighter in the world, and I can't wait to prove it,” said Stevenson.

It's not true that Shakur sits “too much in the pocket” in his fights. He does so only when he faces weak opposition. When faced with opposition with talent and power, he never stays in the pocket, which is why he is criticized.

In Stevenson's last fight against Artem Harutyunyan, he was weak and slow in the pocket. In his previous match against Edwin De Los Santos, Stevenson was on his bike for the entire 12-round fight and the fans booed him.

The fighters Shakur wants to fight aren't interested in fighting him. He says he wants to fight Teofimo Lopez, Ryan Garcia and Devin Haney. Those guys won't fight him because he doesn't engage and doesn't move much. That's why Stevenson didn't get a nibble from Gervanta Davies and Vassily Lomachenko.

“I want to fight Tank. I want to fight Garvonta Davis. I think that's the biggest and best fight in the sport of boxing. Anytime they want these big fights to happen, I'm ready to fight anybody and everybody,” said Stevenson.

Turki Al-Sheikh could possibly entice Tank to fight Shakur, but it's going to take a big offer to make that fight happen because the Baltimore native has no interest in fighting him.