Artem Harutyunyan faced little challenge as Shakur Stevenson effortlessly defended his WBC lightweight title.
The 27-year-old proved to be a deserving winner on all three scorecards (119-109, 118-110, 116-112) when facing the outclassed German of Armenian descent. Throughout the match, the German boxer failed to reach the same level as his American opponent.
Stevenson, competing in his hometown at Newark’s Prudential Centre, began the main event by taking the time to assess his latest opponent during the initial six minutes. As the third round unfolded, disgruntled murmurs from the audience started to surface, possibly due to their disappointment with the lackluster preceding fight. However, the beloved local fighter soon unleashed a series of precise punches that Harutyunyan struggled to defend against.
Stevenson’s impeccable hand speed posed a consistent challenge for Harutyunyan, whose strategy gradually shifted towards evasive movement in the ring. Hoping to catch Stevenson off guard, Harutyunyan resorted to circling the ring, ready to pounce at any opportune moment.
Although Stevenson is undeniably one of the most talented fighters in the sport, it is clear that he must put forth more effort in the ring to captivate the public. As the final round commenced, several fans were observed leaving the Prudential Centre, evidently having witnessed sufficient action.
The champion will assert that his challenger failed to show up for the fight, and he requires a more skilled opponent to bring out his full potential. Gervonta “Tank” Davis seems like the perfect candidate for a unification bout in the lightweight division. However, the question remains whether the promoters will deem Stevenson deserving of his requested fee.
Before his post-fight interview, Stevenson, who is rumored to become a free agent, was spotted wearing a t-shirt that had the phrase “Bob is rescuing his son from this beatdown.” This statement was directed at his promoter Bob Arum from Top Rank and the current IBF lightweight champion Vasiliy Lomachenko.
Afterwards, Stevenson proceeded to deliver his judgment on Harutyunyan, who had been defeated. “He’s primarily focused on self-preservation. He possesses commendable fighting skills and strength, although I would have preferred if he had displayed more determination to make the fight more entertaining. I exerted all my efforts to bring about his defeat as well.”
Inquired about his frustration regarding the inability to finish the job before the time limit, Stevenson expressed his disappointment, stating, “Indeed, I was. I need to improve my ring positioning. I plan on returning to the gym to focus on enhancing my ring positioning skills.”
In response to the boos from the crowd, Stevenson was under the impression that they were aimed at Harutyunyan, who he believed was not putting in effort to engage in the fight.
“I aspire to face the most formidable opponents in boxing,” declared the champion. “Only by pitting me against someone who challenges and competes with me will you witness the true potential within me. It is in those moments that you will extract the very best from me.”
