Shakur Stevenson Retains WBC Lightweight Title with Underwhelming Win at Prudential Center

Stevenson vs. Harutyunyan: A Technical Showcase with Unanswered Questions

Shakur Stevenson beats Artem Harutyunyan to retain his title /

By Moses Ochieng

In a bout that displayed his abilities and perhaps showed why Top Rank isn't making much effort to retain him, Shakur Stevenson defended his WBC lightweight title with a technically proficient yet ultimately underwhelming performance against Artem Harutyunyan. Stevenson won by unanimous decision but seldom threatened to end the fight early on Saturday at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

Harutyunyan possesses a natural herky-jerky style that can be difficult to time, and it took Stevenson a couple of rounds to figure him out. During this time, Harutyunyan bobbed, weaved, twitched, circled around Stevenson, and launched quick flurries and body shots early on.

Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) started to find his range in the third and fourth rounds. By the fifth, he increased the pressure, landing a two-punch combination to the head before targeting the body.

Harutyunyan (12-2, 7 KOs) was theoretically doing many of the right things. He didn't stand still in front of Stevenson or make himself an easy target for the American’s lightning-fast punches. He constantly circled Stevenson, threw punches to keep him occupied, and tried to be as elusive as possible. However, Stevenson’s defensive skills and precise punches are exceptional, and once he found his rhythm, he increased the pressure, picking Harutyunyan apart with straight punches to the head and significantly hurting him with a body shot in the sixth round.

The physical contrast between the fighters was intriguing: Harutyunyan was wide-eyed, constantly moving and never still, while Stevenson remained supremely relaxed, conserving energy and making every punch count. Unlike O’Shaquie Foster, who was likely penalized by the judges for retreating and counter-punching in the co-main event, Stevenson stayed in the pocket, forcing Harutyunyan to stay on the move as he dominated the center of the ring.

By Round 8, Stevenson was pushing his opponent back, forcing Harutyunyan to retreat. Harutyunyan seemed content to keep his distance, likely due to Stevenson's body punches diminishing his willingness to engage aggressively. A couple more body shots in the ninth round had Harutyunyan retreating with even more urgency. To his credit, Harutyunyan decided that an increased offense was the best defense and attempted to open up to keep Stevenson at bay as the ninth round ended.

While Stevenson kept seeking opportunities to land significant blows in the later rounds, he lacked the strategy or finesse to create those openings and ultimately appeared content to ride out the remaining time.

Stevenson won the fight and retained his title; however, whether he gained new fans or increased his chances of securing the defining fight he desires remains uncertain.

“It’s kind of hard to prove [you’re that guy] when you don’t have a fighter who’s trying to fight back. I’ve got to cut off the ring a little bit more,” Stevenson remarked in media reports

Disappointed that his preferred opponents, Vasiliy Lomachenko and Gervonta Davis, are overlooking him and appear poised to fight each other, Stevenson appeared resigned to keep going forward and waiting for opportunities to arise.

“I love boxing. But if they don’t want to fight me, I’ll stay in the gym and keep busy,” he added.