Jones believes Stevenson’s footwork and ring IQ would force Gervonta out of his comfort zone.

“I think Tank’s is going to have to give up a lot to beat Shakur, because Shakur is going to keep them feet on him,” said Jones to FightHype.

“You’ve got to gamble against them feet; you can’t just go out there and box and think you’re going to beat him, as Teofimo found out.”

Roy Jr. said opponents who refuse to chase Shakur aggressively are likely to spend the entire fight trying to catch him.

“If you don’t gamble with them feet, he’s going to beat you all night. He’s comfortable being on that back leg and being smart about it,” said Jones Jr.

Roy Jr’s view mirrors what happened when Shakur outboxed Teofimo. Rather than trading in the pocket, Shakur controlled the distance with his movement, picked his shots, and neutralized Teofimo’s offense over 12 rounds.

For Tank, that would present a different challenge than most of his previous opponents. His patience and knockout power have carried him to world titles in multiple weight classes, but Jones Jr. believes a fight with Shakur would require him to sacrifice some of his defensive caution to create openings against one of boxing’s most elusive technicians.

If the long-awaited matchup is eventually made, Jones Jr. sees Gervonta’s willingness to take calculated risks as the key factor that could determine whether he can land the fight-changing punch he’s built his career around.