Photo: Mikey Williams/Top Rank – Without being able to get the KO he was looking for, Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) easily defeated Artem Harutyunyan (12-2, 7 KOs) last Saturday.
Everyone was trying to act like everything was fine, but the sky of Newark, New Jersey, was super cloudy when the fight week featuring Shakur Stevenson and Artem Harutyunyan began last Monday.
The WBC 135 lb champion, also ex-130 and 126 lb monarch, Shakur Stevenson was preparing to fight what was possibly the last fight of the contract binding him with Top Rank, his long-time promoter.
In the preceding weeks, the pride of ‘Brick City’ had declined a 5-fight contract extension offering him $15M USD guaranteed. He felt he deserved more, but was also frustrated at still not having gotten the big fights he was looking for; against Lomachenko, Davis and Haney, notably. All this, he said it publicly.
Bob Arum also made a public outing. The big boss of Top Rank said that no one would offer more to Shakur Stevenson. With a pinch of confidence/arrogance, he even indicated that the silver medalist from the Rio Games would come home… when he realized it.
Along with that, seeing Stevenson’s potential departure on the horizon. Top Rank played it safe by sending Artem Harutyunyan against the American. According to Shakur Stevenson, Raymond Muratalla (20-0, 16 KOs) nevertheless wanted to face him, but why would the promoter have risked a ‘Danger’ defeat for a boxer who was about to leave?
Happy End
When fight night finally comes, Stevenson predictably dominated Artem. However, he was unable to get the exclamation mark, and so the KO, he was looking for. On the way to a victory by a dominant unanimous decision (against an opponent less willing to engage), we could even hear a few boos from the stands of the Prudential Center, where Stevenson is the local attraction.
And then, before the fight even ended, Top Rank/ESPN decided to stop pretending that everything was cool.
Footage showing supporters leaving before the end of the fight was expressly shown on television. If that wasn’t already clear enough, after the fight, Shakur Stevenson’s interview ended with a ‘it was a pleasure covering your career!’
Is Matchroom next? Or does Bob was telling the truth? The next few weeks will be interesting.
Controversy as its best
In the co-feature, the Brazilian Robson Conceiçao (19-2-1, 9 KOs) made a Sakio Bika of himself by becoming world champion on his 4th chance at the title.
However, it is the way in which he got his hands on the WBC super featherweight title that attracts attention.
Properly speaking, O’Shaquie Foster (22-3, 12 KOs) seemed to have performed a ‘boxing clinic’ with Conceiçao. The latter was perhaps the aggressor, but he was not at all effective… On the other side, the pride of Orange, Texas, was so shocked that he was in tears when the result was announced, believing he deserved not only to win the fight, but also every one of his 12 rounds. And he’s not the only one.
Even the commentators were stunned. The card of ESPN gave Foster 11 out of 12 rounds and the boxing fans’ card on Boxrec gave him a complete shutout.
So yes, it’s quite scandalous and if a rematch is not ordered in the coming days, it will be even more so.
Keyshawn-Madueno goes 10
In a fight filled with dirty boxing, holding and questionable blows (including one to the referee’s face), Keyshawn Davis (11-0, 7 KOs) completely dominated Miguel Madueno (31-3, 28 KOs). The three judges handed out identical cards of 99-91 in favor of the American, but many were surprised to see the Mexican going to the distance with ‘The Businessman.’
Still, the commentators did not hesitate to throw flowers at Keyshawn who, remember, won by a similar score as Steve Claggett last November.
I talked about this last week, but now it makes more sense than ever. Keyshawn says no one wants to fight him, but the whole country knows a Dragon who would answer his call.
A Phenom in Quebec City
It was already announced, but the dominant outing of the prodigious Abdullah Mason (14-0, 12 KOs) against the Puerto Rican veteran Luis LeBron (20-6-1, 13 KOs) thus confirms Mason’s presence in Quebec City on August 17. In Newark, Mason took only 3 rounds to stop the best test of his young career in LeBron, a boxer who had never been stopped in 26 fights.
He is so good that people aren’t only saying that he will become world champion, they’re saying that he could be the pound-for-pound champion.
The story will continue before our eyes this summer at the Videotron Centre.
‘El Camaron’ is ready
Meanwhile, on the West Coast, William Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) lived up to his reputation as a steamroller, taking only three rounds to destroy Giovanni Cabrera, a man who came very close to upset ‘Pitbull’ Cruz not so long ago.
The pride of Golden Boy Promotions is currently ranked #1 of the four federations at 135 lb. Which champion will he face now? Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson, Vasyl Lomachenko or Denys Berinchyk? Each option is fascinating.
Big night in Anaheim
In a packed Honda Center, in Anaheim, Nate Diaz (1-1) got his revenge on Jorge Masvidal (1-1) in a very entertaining boxing fight between two stars of mixed martial arts.
In the co-feature, Shane Mosley Jr (22-4, 12 KOs) quite possibly sent Daniel Jacobs (37-5, 30 KOs) into retirement by dominating the ‘Miracle Man’ for 10 rounds .
Also, one of the sons of the legendary Fernando Vargas, Amado Vargas (11-0, 5 KOs) stopped brother Ryan Garcia, Sean Garcia (7-1-1, 2 KOs) in 6 rounds.
This concludes a catastrophic week for the Garcia family. A few days earlier, Ryan (already suspended by the New York Athletic Commission) was banned from the WBC for making racist comments.
‘Puma’ upsets Ioka
Finally, super early on Sunday (Eastern time), the ‘Puma’ Fernando Martinez (17-0, 9 KOs) upsets the legendary Kazuto Ioka (31-3-1, 16 KOs) in Japan.
Via a unanimous and pro-Argentinian decision, he successfully defended his IBF super featherweight title, while adding Ioka’s WBA title to his collection.
Just like this, I’m now dreaming of seeing him fight ‘Bam’ Rodriguez.
The PG agenda
These are the fights to keep an eye on this week:
Chocolatito vs. Barrera
Friday, the legend is back! Fresh off a training camp with ‘Bam’ Rodriguez, the pride of Nicaragua, Roman Gonzalez (51-4, 41 KOs) will box at home for the first time since 2015 against the always tough Colombian Rober Barrera (27-5, 17 KOs). The former pound-for-pound king looks to get back on track following his controversial December 2022 loss to Juan Fransico Estrada.
Sanchez vs. Villenueva
Again, Friday, this time in Atlanta, Saul Sanchez (20-3, 12 KOs) will be back against the Filipino Arthur Villanueva (35-5-1, 20 KOs). Last January, Sanchez instantly became a fan-favorite of the Quebec boxing crowd, making 12-round war with Jason Moloney at the Videotron Center.
Janibek vs. Mikhailovich
On Saturday, in Las Vegas, Kazakh ‘Janibek’ Alimkhanuly (15-0, 10 KOs) will defend his IBF and WBO middleweight titles against New Zealand contender Andrei Mikhailovich (21-0, 13 KOs).
Ennis vs. Avanesyan
Saturday, in Philadelphia and on DAZN, Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis (31-0, 28 KOs) will be back in his hometown to defend his IBF title for the first time against the former interim world champion David Avanesyan (30-4-1, 18 KOs). ‘Boots’ was initially scheduled to face his mandatory challenger, the Canadian Cody Crowley, but that the latter withdrew due to an eye injury.
Found on BoxRec
In England, again on Saturday, Jake Goodwin (6-2, 1 KO) will be in action. Why talk about him? Simply because his opponent’s record is worth the detour. In a 4 round fight, at super welterweight, he will face MJ Hall, a boxer with a record of 3-121-3…
I’m stopping there, so take care of y’all, especially you, MJ Hall.
