“Shakuur is at a higher level than those fighters,” Crawford said.

The meaning is clear. In Crawford’s mind, Stevenson was positioned above Vasily Lomachenko, and the southpaw forced Lopez into his toughest fights and pushed him through twelve grueling rounds at champion pace. That’s the standard Crawford is waving at.

Lopez solved Lomachenko’s problem by controlling range early, limiting volume, and forcing the fight to win in bursts rather than tempo. It remains the most complete performance of his career. No other opponent requires the same level of discipline or adjustment from him.

Crawford’s claims require the sport to accept that Stevenson has exceeded this test.

There’s little controversy about Stevenson’s defensive command. His distance control and time travel can work against anyone. The unanswered question is the other side of the equation. Stevenson has yet to be forced to attack at a sustained elite pace against an opponent that refuses to be managed or slowed down.

Lopez allowed no comfort. He wants to break patterns, make power trades, and win moments with speed and power rather than size. That’s the question Lomachenko in turn poses, and it’s the question Stevenson needs to address.

Crawford may get to see the finished version early. He has earned the right to hold this view. Saturday will determine whether Stevenson has reached the level Crawford assigned him, or whether that improvement still needs to be proven against already existing benchmarks.