There are a few different ways Shakur Stevenson can win a fight.

Some may poke fun at his punching power, but the former Olympic silver medalist has a number of knockout victories. Also against William Zepeda recently, Stevenson proved that he can stand in the middle of the ring and go toe-to-toe with just about anyone. Lastly and probably his favorite, he can outthink and outbox opponents, too.

Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs) has more fun using his mind when he's out there. It gets no better than taking one small step back and making opponents miss by a mile.

Talent for talent, few might be comparable, but what he has between his ears separates him from everyone else. Well, almost everyone.

"The only person in that division who's on that thinking level is probably Andy Cruz," Stevenson told Naji of Cigar Talk. "He's a helluva fighter."

Stevenson doesn't usually take notice of fighters with so little professional experience, but the three-division champ sees something eye-catching about Cruz, who is undefeated in six bouts.

Is it the angles? The bemusing footwork? Pernicious power? All of it stands out.

Cruz, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, has been carefully moved into a position where his fifth-round stoppage over Japan's Hironori Mishiro last month made him the IBF's mandatory challenger to new titlist Raymond Muratalla.

Stevenson, with a laugh and a smile, wishes Muratalla (23-0, 17 KOs) luck. He doesn't have a dog in the race and just wants to watch them get it on.

Avoiding tough competition isn't what Stevenson does. So, knowing that Cruz may one day stand in his way, he's already carving out a game plan to beat him.

"He's strategic," Stevenson said. "When we mix it up, I'm a figure his ass out."