Stevenson cruises to victory…But doesn’t thrill

By: Sean Crose

WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson put his title, as well as his undefeated 21-0 record, on the line Saturday night in his native Newark, New Jersey as he took on the 12-1 Artem Harutyunyan. The fight was a scheduled 12 rounder and was the main event of an ESPN Top Rank card.

The two men felt each other out early on. By the later part of the first, Harutyunyan was working to get in on the southpaw Shakur while Shakur kept his man at bay with a crisp right hand jab. Matters remained rather slow paced in the second as Stevenson decided to play it cool against his twitchy foe. The third remained slow, though Stevenson was able to nail his man to the body at the bell. Stevenson subtly applied pressure in the fourth, which resulted in Harutyunyan no longer controlling the action.

While Stevenson was able to land clean shots in the fifth, the pace of the fight remained slow enough that it took a keen eye to see what Stevenson was up to. It was a successful strategy, though not an entertaining one. With that being said, Harutyunyan looked to be low on gas in the sixth. Stevenson, free to throw hard shots, was in complete control.

By the seventh, it was clear Stevenson was simply too strong and skilled for his game opponent. Harutyunyan was giving it all he could, but it obviously wasn’t enough. As for Stevenson, he banged away at Harutyunyan, but never seemed to be going full blast as some fighters in his position would. Subsequently, some fans could be heard booing in the eighth.

Matters remained slow-paced in the ninth. Harutyunyan, however, was able to land in volume at times. “If you do your job you’ll knock this motherfucker out,” Stevenson’s trainer told him in between rounds. The tenth was uneventful, though Stevenson argued with his corner after the round. The eleventh played out at the same pace as the vast majority of the fight had.

The twelfth and final round was a quiet affair, much like the previous eleven rounds. Stevenson continued to largely dominate, and left the ring with a decision victory under his belt. He was masterful – but not particularly enjoyable to watch. Indeed, Stevenson’s lack of a “killer instinct” or raw power may unfortunately keep him from becoming a fan favorite – a pity for so skilled a fighter.

*Images: Top Rank