Shakur Stevenson may be undefeated in the ring, but he recently admitted that fellow star Terence Crawford got the better of him in a much different competition. Appearing on the Wave Original podcast, 7PM in Brooklyn, Stevenson joked that Crawford handed him a decisive loss during a post-fight ping-pong matchup.
The conversation came while Stevenson was reflecting on how he spent the hours after his headline victory over Teófimo López. Rather than heading out for a typical championship celebration, Stevenson said he opted for something more low-key with family and friends.
“Most people, they kind of go to clubs, they going to go party, they going to go get bottles,” Stevenson said. “After that fight, I went straight to play ping pong. I swear to God all my life.”
He described the gathering as a friendly competition where everyone joined in. “We had like a ping pong party with all of my family and friends and beat people ass in ping pong,” Stevenson said. But when asked who managed to beat him, Stevenson laughed and gave Crawford full credit. “Bud Crawford. He whupped my ass. He’s nice.”
The appearance on the show—hosted by former NBA star Carmelo Anthony alongside Kazeem Famuyide—also included Stevenson reflecting on the significance of his win over López. Stevenson said the moment didn’t surprise him even if it shifted public perception.
“I know myself,” he said. “When the lights get bright, and it’s millions of people watching around the world…I know I’m going to step up to the plate regardless.”
He added confidently, “I’m the truth. I’ve been the truth for years and years.”
Stevenson also addressed a recent dispute with the World Boxing Council that led to his losing his lightweight title. According to Stevenson, the organization requested an additional $120,000 in sanctioning fees.
“Mind you, I already paid $60,000 for keeping my belt,” he explained. “So I’m like, why would I pay double now because I’m moving up and you don’t have nothing to do with my fight?”
Stevenson added that the system itself often leaves fighters confused. “We win the belts on TV… but we going to pay money to keep our belt. Why am I paying y’all if I’m the guy that went in there and won the fight?”
The interview also touched on Stevenson’s place among boxing’s top names, including Devin Haney and Gervonta Davis. Stevenson acknowledged the competition but made his stance clear.
“Through the years, I done gave these guys credit,” he said. “But when it really come down to it, I always knew I’m the one.”
For Stevenson, the podcast appearance offered a glimpse of both his confidence and his routine outside the ring. After a championship win, he said life returned quickly to normal. “Everything’s just regular for me,” Stevenson explained. “It’s like, okay—we just did what we knew what we was going to do.”