Shakur Stevenson returns to the ring on Saturday to defend his WBC light-weight title towards Artem Harutyunyan. The struggle on the Prudential Middle in Newark, New Jersey (ESPN/ESPN+, 8:30 p.m. ET, with prelims on ESPN+ at 6:10 p.m. ET), would be the important occasion of a High Rank Boxing card that features a junior light-weight title struggle between WBC champion O’Shaquie Foster and perennial title contender Robson Conceicao.
Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs) is a former featherweight and junior light-weight champion. He additionally gained silver on the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics representing the U.S. After successful the WBO junior light-weight title with a Tenth-round TKO victory over Jamel Herring in October 2021, Stevenson added the WBC belt with a unanimous-decision win over Oscar Valdez in April 2022. However Stevenson misplaced the belts on the scales when he could not make weight for a title protection towards Conceicao in September 2022. He then moved to the 135-pound division and scored a sixth-round TKO victory over Shuichiro Yoshino in April.
In November 2023, Stevenson defeated Edwin De Los Santos by unanimous resolution (116-112, 115-113 and 116-112) to win the then vacant WBC light-weight title in a forgettable struggle that broke CompuBox’s 38 yr file for fewer punches landed in a 12-round struggle. De Los Santos landed simply 40 whole punches and simply 14 energy punches. Stevenson did not do a lot better, touchdown solely 65 whole punches, 19 energy punches.
Regardless, Stevenson is again combating at dwelling.
“It feels good to be going again dwelling to Newark, the place they recognize a younger legend, and to make my first title protection at 135,” Stevenson mentioned after the struggle was formally introduced on Might 7.
Harutyunyan (12-1, 7 KOs), of Yerevan, Armenia, (however primarily based in Hamburg, Germany) has by no means fought for a world title. In his first struggle exterior Germany, he suffered the one defeat of his profession, a unanimous resolution to Frank Martin final July in Las Vegas.
“I respect Shakur Stevenson as a champion, however I am coming to shock his hometown followers and win the WBC light-weight championship,” Harutyunyan mentioned. “That is the chance of a lifetime, and I’ll take full benefit of it.”
Let’s check out the title struggle by the numbers. Info from ESPN Stats & Info and CompuBox had been used on this report.
1. Stevenson is making the primary protection of his WBC light-weight title he gained towards De Los Santos in July 2023.
3. That is Stevenson’s third struggle at light-weight. He made his debut within the division towards Yoshino in April.
13. Unfortunate quantity 13 for Harutyunyan, who after successful his first 12 skilled fights, misplaced a unanimous resolution to Martin, his first profession loss.
7. Stevenson is the youngest fighter to win a title in a 3rd division since Naoya Inoue completed that feat in 2019. Stevenson can also be simply the seventh fighter to take action all-time.
1. Harutyunyan seeks to grow to be the primary German fighter to win a serious light-weight world title. Marco Rudolph misplaced an eighth-round TKO to Artur Grigorian 1998 difficult for the WBO belt.
6. Stevenson is the sixth fighter to be a three-division champion whereas additionally successful an Olympic medal. The opposite 5 fighters on that record (Sugar Ray Leonard, Pernell Whitaker, Roy Jones Jr., Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather) have been all inducted into the Worldwide Boxing Corridor of Fame. Stevenson can also be the sixth fighter to win titles at 126, 130, and 135 kilos. He is the youngest in that group to realize the feat.
46.83. Stevenson lands 46.83% of his energy punches, the third-most based on CompuBox. He additionally has the bottom opponent join proportion (16.7%) in all boxing, based on CompuBox.
In their very own phrases — from Wednesday’s information convention
Harutyunyan about this chance: “I used to be born in Armenia, and I grew up in Germany. I’ve come all the best way right here to struggle Shakur Stevenson in his hometown. It is a massive alternative for me. I’ll do my greatest and provides an ideal struggle.”
Harutyunyan on his final struggle within the U.S.: “I got here to Las Vegas final yr. I used to be combating Frank Martin. It was an ideal struggle. I do know Frank Martin is aware of he misplaced the struggle. I informed all people that I’d be again within the States. And now it is occurred. I am again right here.”
Harutyunyan about his preparation for the struggle: “It is an ideal alternative. I had an ideal coaching camp, and I am nicely ready. I am prepared for this struggle. I do know Shakur Stevenson is an efficient fighter. He’s a world champion. We each fought on the Olympic video games. He’s a silver medalist, and I am a bronze medalist. Now we’re combating for the world championship.”
Stevenson on Harutyunyan’s reward through the information convention on Wednesday: “You are attempting to behave actual humble and butter me up and act such as you’re probably not coming right here to win. No, you are coming right here to win, bro. I already know. He does not sound as assured as I believed he would sound. Hopefully, he is coming to struggle.”
Stevenson on his strategy to the struggle: “I will take him to a degree he is by no means been on. I am simply going to be myself. I will come out and present my expertise and present my ranges. I believe I am among the best within the sport of boxing at hit and do not get hit. There is a sure means of doing that, and I need to present the followers that every one that shifting round is one thing I do not actually need to do. I can sit within the pocket and beat you up, too.”