Begging for a fight isn’t something Shakur Stevenson enjoys doing, but sometimes he doesn’t have much of a choice.

It hasn’t been easy for the WBC lightweight champ, but when you ask his contemporaries most claim that facing Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs) isn’t a scary task due to his lack of KO power.

Sending his opponents to the hospital isn’t Stevenson’s specialty, and it certainly isn’t the reason why he struggles to get fights. But according to Tim Bradley, fighters would rather face someone who has concussive power rather than get their ears boxed off.

“Shakur is avoided,” Bradley said on a self-recorded video posted on his YouTube channel. “He’s avoided because he embarrasses fighters. He might not knock you out, but he’s gonna take everything away from you.”

Those exasperated looks have been etched all over the faced of opponents. That trend continued a few months ago.

In Flushing, New York, Stevenson used bemusing footwork, tricky angles and impenetrable defense against William Zepeda. Although he used relentless pressure and appeared determined as ever, Zepeda lost round after round, leading to a unanimous decision for Stevenson.

Bradley, a 2023 Hall of Famer, sees the hopelessness in everyone who tries to figure him out, including those giving his opponents instructions.

“He’s gonna have your trainer frustrated, too,” Bradley said. “He’s gonna frustrate the hell out of you.”