Shakur Stevenson has a sharp memory. So, it isn’t surprising to see him recall some of his past fights to a tee. His memory bank helps him pick up on certain patterns his opponents implement in the ring but it also humbles him.

Throughout his career, Stevenson (23-0, 11 KOs) always gets the last laugh. But while those one-sided beatings he dishes out make him smile, he remembers a time when he didn’t have his hand raised in victory.

Back in 2016, just before he turned pro, Stevenson qualified for the Olympics. Although some are excited and walk around joyfully, Stevenson didn’t. Making the Olympic roster was never the goal, winning it all was.

By and large, things were going according to plan. That is until he ran into Robeisy Ramirez. Once Stevenson was forced to settle for second place, he burst into tears. To this day, fans and even some of his opponents poke fun at him for it. However, looking back at it, Stevenson explained that coming that close to something he desperately wanted, hurt him more than anything else.

“I cried because it was my passion,” explained Stevenson on The Danza Project. “It was my dream. My dream was to become the next Olympic gold medalist. I put everything into that dream. You finally get to that one moment in your career, you get to the finals and you fail. That’s what happened to me, I failed at the highest level.”

Failing, coincidently, is something Stevenson knows nothing about in the pros. The now 27-year-old has dominated every opponent placed in front of him and has grabbed world titles in three separate divisions.

When it comes to his work ethic and God-gifted talent, Stevenson believes he’s unmatched, but those two variables alone aren’t the biggest factors for his success. The way he sees it, coming up short in the Olympics cut him deeply, but once his wound healed, he allowed it to give birth to a monster.

“Truthfully, I’m glad that all of that happened," continued Stevenson. "That is the reason why I am who I am today. I think if I would’ve won an Olympic gold medal, I probably would have an L on my career right now.”