This isn't me exaggerating because he's passed away, but he would tear through the heavyweights of this era, that's not to say he would tear through Wlad and Vitali, Wlad and Vitali are quality, but the current crop in general, he'd embarrass them.
That's the way I see it. Guys like Pulev and Povetkin made a fairly comfortable switch into the pro's from the amateurs (off the top of my head)
Stevenson's amateur era>>>This.
Ergo, he'd be pretty well prepared to turn over against this basic crop.
Against
the cream of it? Not IMO.
But Arreola? Dimitrienko? Tyson Fury? He'd smash 'em IMO, going on the aesthetic qualities of his style and that his opponents displayed.
Thing is, Stevenson was nearly always the bigger man back then (height wise) be interesting to see him in with the taller guys. I'm not sure the heavier contenders are any better for it, so I'd pick him to spark the flabby ones as well.
Fact is the Olympians of many era's before often jumped in at the deep end and survived. I'd expect Stevenson to do as well as a 'Skeeter' McClure if he took on a fast track schedule. He was better than Rademacher, but when people wanted Stevenson to go over there wasn't a Floyd Patterson at the helm (not a slight on Floyd, I'm a massive fan but Rademacher wouldn't likely sit many heavyweight champs on their arse) so I'd say even to be competitive to that degree is hard to fathom.
Steadily stepping it up in 8-10 fights, as Leon Spinks did? If he did it in
that timeframe, there's more chance, after '80 or '84, I can't pick him with any great conviction against the many talented contenders of Holmes' era, and no doubt Stevenson would be offered to Tyson as a great name and demolished.
I'm rambling (what a surprise) but what I'm saying is, he
could have been successful, but not in the years he actually competed in :good
