Shakur Stevenson rolls past Artem Harutyunyan, retains WBC title

Shakur Stevenson retained his WBC light-weight title with a unanimous determination victory over Artem Harutyunyan on Saturday within the remaining struggle of his promotional cope with High Rank.

For the third time in 4 fights, Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) boxed in his native Newark, New Jersey. He managed the struggle from the opening bell, displaying off the talents that earned him recognition as ESPN’s No. 8 pound-for-pound boxer.

And for the second consecutive struggle, Stevenson cruised down the stretch in opposition to a serious underdog. In November, Stevenson scored a lackluster determination victory over Edwin de Los Santos, a struggle during which neither boxer landed double-digit punches in any spherical.

Stevenson was decided to ship much more leisure this time round, however the stoppage did not materialize. One in every of boxing’s greatest defensive fighters, Stevenson was a -3500 favourite in opposition to Harutyunyan, in accordance with ESPN BET.

“It is sort of laborious to show [you’re the best] if you do not have a fighter making an attempt to struggle again; he is simply making an attempt to outlive,” mentioned Stevenson, 27. “… I might have needed him to attempt slightly more durable so it could possibly be a extra enjoyable struggle.

“I did every part I might to get him out of there, too. I received to chop off the ring slightly bit extra. … I am going to return to the gymnasium and work on chopping off the ring.”

There have been boos in the course of the remaining two rounds of what was principally an uneventful struggle. Stevenson mentioned the jeers have been aimed toward Harutyunyan as a result of “he ain’t actually attempt to make the struggle.” Harutyunyan landed double-digit punches in just one spherical, the ninth.

Stevenson, in the meantime, shocked Harutyunyan to the physique a number of occasions, touchdown 66 such photographs. The champion outlanded the challenger 170-74 total. Stevenson managed vary along with his jab, was capable of fend off Harutyunyan’s assaults and counter with sharp combos of his personal.

Harutyunyan (12-2, 7 KOs) was combating in his first world-title bout. He entered the ring on the heels of a spirited determination loss to light-weight contender Frank Martin in July, a struggle during which he was dropped within the twelfth spherical.

The Armenian suffered cuts underneath each eyes and emerged with bruises scattered round his face. Harutyunyan, 33, represented Germany within the 2016 Olympics and received a bronze medal. At those self same Video games in Rio De Janeiro, Stevenson captured a silver medal two weight courses under at bantamweight.

Stevenson went on to win titles at 126, 130 and 135 kilos, the place he at the moment reigns. All of his 22 professional fights have been promoted by High Rank, however Stevenson now enters free company. He rejected a five-fight extension supply that will have assured him $3 million per bout, sources advised ESPN.

“I wish to struggle one of the best fighters in boxing,” Stevenson mentioned. “That is how you are going to get to see one of the best model of me, if you put me within the ring with another person that desires to struggle again and compete.”

Such a marquee struggle has to this point eluded Stevenson. He is rated No. 3 by ESPN at light-weight. The division’s prime two boxers, Gervonta Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko, are in negotiations to struggle later this yr.

“If they do not struggle me, they do not struggle me,” Stevenson mentioned. “I am simply going to remain within the gymnasium and be prepared.”

Conceicao ends Foster’s title reign

Robson Conceicao received his first world title in his fourth bid with a cut up determination victory over O’Shaquie Foster within the 130-pound title co-feature.

Brazil’s Conceicao, a two-time Olympic gold medalist, prevailed by scores of 115-113 and 116-112, whereas the third decide scored it 116-112 in favor of Foster, who was making the third protection of his WBC title. The choice was an unpopular one: Conceicao landed simply 11% of his punches.

“I believed it was a shutout,” mentioned Foster, a 30-year-old combating out of Houston. “… I believed it was a simple struggle. I did not get touched besides with a headbutt. … I would like the rematch. They stole this from me.”

Foster (22-3, 12 KOs) received the title with a call victory over Rey Vargas in March 2022. Conceicao (19-2-1, 9 KOs) beforehand misplaced to Stevenson and Oscar Valdez in title challenges, although neither struggle was contested on an excellent taking part in discipline. Stevenson was stripped of the title after he did not make weight in opposition to Conceicao, and Valdez examined optimistic for a performance-enhancing drug weeks earlier than their struggle.

Conceicao’s third title problem was a draw with Emanuel Navarrete in November, one other co-feature to a Stevenson title struggle.

“I do assume I received the struggle,” Conceicao, 35, mentioned by means of an interpreter. “… He did not come to struggle. He was operating and operating. I used to be the winner.”