Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) retained his WBC lightweight title with a twelve-round unanimous decision over Artem Harutyunyan (13-2, 7 KOs) in a less-than-impressive performance in front of his hometown fans at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
(Courtesy: Mikey Williams/Top Rank)
The scores: 119-109, 118-110 and 116-112.
Shakur gave it a good try to look impressive tonight, walking forward and throwing single shots, but he couldn’t generate any power and was getting hit frequently by a very tired-looking Harutyunyan.
The Prudential Center was like a funeral, as the fans were not cheering, were quiet, and were clearly enthused about what they were watching.
Undercard results:
– 2016 Olympic gold medalist Robson Conceicao (19-2-1, 9 KOs) looked impressive tonight, putting in a workman-like performance beating WBC super featherweight champion O’Shaquie Foster (22-3, 12 KOs) by a 12-round split decision.
Foster was unwilling to stand and fight, choosing to back up and hold all night and letting Conceicao control the fight with his pressure and hard punches.
Interestingly, after the fight, Foster felt he’d been given a raw deal with the judges and seemed oblivious to his failure to stand and fight the Brazilian Olympian.
The scores:
116-112: Foster
116-112: Conceicao
115-113: Conceicao
– Highly ranked lightweight contender Keyshawn Davis (11-0, 7 KOs) defeated Miguel Madueno (31-3, 28 KOs) by a tougher-than-expected ten-round unanimous decision.
Keyshawn did a lot of wrestling, holding, and other roughhouse tactics out of frustration with the pressure and hard shots he was getting hit with by Madueno.
Although Keyshawn was landing many hard punches, they didn’t affect Madueno, who kept marching forward, hitting him when he would get close.
Seemingly flustered by the pressure, Keyshawn clinched around the clock from rounds five through ten to keep from getting worn down.
The judges’ scores were 99-91, 99-91, and 99-91.
– Lightweight knockout artist Abdullah Mason (14-0, 12 KOs) made a statement, obliterating Luis Lebron (20-6-1, 13 KOs) by a third-round TKO.
The stoppage came from Mason’s barrage of punches, finishing with a left to the body. The contest was halted by the referee at that point, with the official time of the stoppage coming at 1:18 of the third.
In round two, Mason knocked Lebron down twice with hard shots. The first knockdown came from a right uppercut followed by a left hook to Lebron’s head. Moments later, Mason stopped Lebron with a right hook to the head.
When Lebron got up, he looked at his corner as if he expected them to halt the fight, which arguably should have done. He was hurt, and his nose was bleeding badly, and he was a complete mess.
The demolition job that Abdullah Mason did on Lebron is going to be hard to outdo by Shakur Stevenson in the main event.
– Super featherweight Enid Garcia (19-1, 12 KOs) won a surprisingly easy ten-round unanimous decision against William Foster III (17-2, 11 KOs). Garcia used his superior boxing skills to land pinpoint shots, taking advantage of Foster III’s poor footwork and the wild punches he was throwing.
The scores were 99-91, 98-92 and 98-92.
Hometown Hero Faces Test
Tonight’s event will occur in Stevenson’s hometown at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey. It’s a good location for Shakur (21-0, 10 KOs) to be fighting, particularly after his last performance.
WBC super featherweight champion O’Shaquie Foster (22-2, 12 KOs) has a tough defense against his #1 contender, Robson Conceicao (18-2-1, 9 KOs), in the twelve-round chief support bout.
This is a 50-50 toss-up match, and there’s an excellent c chance the talented 2016 Olympic gold medalist Conceicao could dethrone Foster, who barely scraped by on the skin of his teeth in his previous contest against Abraham Nova last February.
Fight Night Details:
- Location: Prudential Center, Newark, New Jersey
- Time: 8:30 p.m. ET / 1:00 a.m. UK (Main Card)
- Main Event Ringwalks (approx): 11:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 a.m. UK
- How to Watch: ESPN+ & ESPN
Undercard Gems: Davis, Mason, and Lebron
O’Shaquie Foster vs. Robson Conceicao
Keyshawn Davis vs. Miguel Madueno
Abdullah Mason vs. Luis Lebron
All four fights on the main card involve lightweight contenders facing tough opposition. Perhaps the most valuable emerald gem on the undercard, Abdullah Mason (13-0, 11 KOs), fights the well-seasoned Luis Lebron (20-5-1, 13 KOs) in an eight-round contest.
Abdullah Mason, 20, looks like a future superstar in the lightweight division. Many view him as the eventual replacement for Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis as the face of boxing. Top Rank isn’t rushing Mason, but he says he’ll fight for a world title in 2025.
As talented as Mason is, he would be a better main event on tonight’s card than Shakur because of his talent and the entertainment value he brings.
2016 Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis (10-0, 7 KOs) faces Miguel Madueno (31-2, 28 KOs) in a ten-round fight. Top Rank is giving Keyshawn a puncher to see how he performs after he struggled against Nahir Albright last year and was hurt twice in a fight that left many questioning his future.
WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson fights Artem Harutyunyan tonight on an ESPN-loaded card, beginning at 8:30 p.m. ET.
