Boxing, more than any other sport, brings about debates. Well, that’s putting it lightly. Oftentimes, they turn into flat-out arguments.

Pound-for-pound lists, and who resides at the top of them, are usually the issue. For years, the likes of Terence Crawford, Canelo Alvarez, Oleksandr Usyk, and Naoya Inoue were, and still are, considered the best of the best. Lately, however, Dmitry Bivol and Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez have made their case.

Respect is something that Shakur Stevenson has for all fighters but those of elite status hold a special place in his heart. He understands what it takes to rise to the top of their respected division and admires them all. With that said, when discussing the topic of who’s the best fighter on the planet, Stevenson (23-0, 11 KOs) believes the answer is obvious.

“When it comes to boxing, I am the best fighter in the world,” said Stevenson to Seconds Out.

If you didn’t believe him before, Stevenson is under the impression that you should believe him now. This past weekend, in Saudi Arabia, the former Olympic silver medalist and current WBC lightweight champ made it look incredibly easy against late replacement opponent, Josh Padley.

Although he did his best, Padley (15-1, 4 KOs) barely laid a finger on Stevenson. While he normally cruises his way to a unanimous decision victory, Stevenson closed the show in the ninth.

By and large, Stevenson is a hard grader, especially when assessing his own performance. When the 27-year-old took a look at how he dismantled the previously undefeated Padley, nevertheless, all he could do was smile and give himself a pat on the back.

“I did what I was supposed to do,” continued Stevenson. “I didn’t make things hard on myself.”