NEWARK, N.J. — Heading into the final fight of his Top Rank promotional contract, Shakur Stevenson needed to put on a performance that would erase the bad taste left in boxing fans’ mouths by snoozer Edwin De Los Santos. A thrilling win over the hard-wearing veteran would only support boost his marketability as he approaches free agency.

However, Artem Harutyunyan did not want to play as a point guard.

Stevenson defended his WBC lightweight title by unanimous decision, defeating Harutyunyan by unanimous decision at the Prudential Center in Newark, Recent Jersey, 119-109, 118-110, 116-112. Although the result was never in doubt, the performance was far from what some had hoped for.

Stevenson, 27, walks away with a belt, but not enough to spark rumors of big-money fights with the likes of Gervonta “Tank” Davis.

After a silent start that even drew boos from his hometown fans in the third round, Stevenson (22-0, 10 knockouts) turned on the jets in the fourth, tearing Harutyunyan to the body with left hands that began to leave red marks across his midsection. Stevenson picked up the pace in the sixth and seventh rounds, bringing Harutyunyan (12-2, 7 KOs) to the ground and jolting him with left counters that threatened to crack his face if he didn’t want to.

In the eighth round, the fans were booing again, only this time they were booing at Harutyunyan’s reluctance to fight, as the left hands to the body began to take their toll. By the tenth round, the malice had left Stevenson’s left hand, and his right hook, which he had used sparingly earlier in the fight, became more of a scoring option.

The crowd was booing again in the eleventh round and the crowds of fans were starting to leave before the start of the twelfth round. Stevenson landed one last attack with a minute left in the twelfth round but both sides seemed to accept that this was heading for a card.

Stevenson, who turned professional under Top Rank in 2017 after winning silver at the Rio Olympics the previous year, had been calling for fights with Davis or his No. 1 contender William Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs), who earlier that night knocked out Giovanni Cabrera in the third round in Ontario, California.

Those fights may be easier to make now that Stevenson can work directly with the boxers’ promoters. Stevenson, who is managed by James Prince, seemed uncertain when asked what he plans to do next, other than remaining firm that he wants the best challenges available.

“I want to fight the best fighters in boxing. That way you’ll see the best version of me when you put me up there with someone else who’s fighting,” Stevenson said.

By: Sean Crose

WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson put his title, as well as his undefeated record of 21-0, on the line Saturday night in his hometown of Newark, Fresh Jersey when he faced 12-1 Artem Harutyunyan in a scheduled 12-round bout that was the main event of an ESPN Top Rank card.

Both men were feeling each other out early on. Towards the end of the first round, Harutyunyan was trying to get to the left-handed Shakur, while Shakur kept his opponent at bay with a powerful right jab. The pace remained rather snail-paced in the second round as Stevenson decided to stay composed against his nervous opponent. The third round remained snail-paced, although Stevenson was able to pin his opponent to the body on the bell. Stevenson subtly applied pressure in the fourth round, which caused Harutyunyan to lose control of the action.

Although Stevenson was able to land neat punches in the fifth round, the pace of the fight remained snail-paced enough that you had to be alert to see what Stevenson was going to do. It was an effective strategy, if not very entertaining. Still, Harutyunyan seemed to be running out of gas in the sixth round. Stevenson, who was free to land difficult punches, was in complete control.

By the seventh round, it was clear that Stevenson was simply too mighty and talented for his opponent. Harutyunyan was giving it his all, but it clearly wasn’t enough. As for Stevenson, he was pounding Harutyunyan, but he never seemed to go all out like some fighters in his position. Then, in the eighth round, you could hear some boos from some fans.

The pace remained snail-paced in the ninth round. Harutyunyan still managed to land some of his punches. “If you do your job, you’ll knock this son of a bitch out,” Stevenson’s trainer said between rounds. The tenth round was uneventful, although Stevenson argued with his cornerman after the round. The eleventh round was played at the same pace as the immense majority of the fight.

The twelfth and final round was still, much like the previous eleven rounds. Stevenson continued to dominate largely and left the ring with a decision win. It was masterful – but not particularly enjoyable to watch. Indeed, Stevenson’s lack of “killer instinct” or raw power may unfortunately hold him back from becoming a fan favorite – a shame for such a talented fighter.

There’s no place like Newark for Shakur Stevenson. The WBC lightweight world champion defended his title in front of his hometown fans, defeating Artem Harutyunyan by unanimous decision on Saturday night at the Prudential Center, winning 119-109, 118-110, 116-112.

Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) was never threatened by his Armenian-born, Germany-based challenger, who entered the fight after nearly a year off. Harutyunyan (12-2, 7 KOs) was repeatedly hurt by body blows, and Stevenson fought on his front foot for most of the second half of the fight but was unable to finish off his persistent opponent.

“It’s difficult to prove that unless you have a fighter who wants to fight. He’s just trying to survive. He’s a good fighter. He’s tough. He’s powerful. I’d like to see him try a little harder to make the fight more captivating,” Stevenson said. “I’ve got to limit the ring a little more. He went one way and then the other, so I’ve got to get back in the gym and work on limiting the gym.”

Harutyunyan said: “Of course it was fun. Boxing is not a game. You have to fight. You get hit and you have to fight back. It’s normal.”

Lightweight contender Keyshawn Davis He overcame relentless pressure from Miguel Madueno and a series of brutal moves to earn a unanimous decision and improve his record to 11-0.

Davis, an Olympic silver medalist from Norfolk, Virginia, kept his composure and used his well-placed counterpunches to win by a score of 99-91 three times. The two fought past the end of the sixth round, and in the seventh, Madueno (31-3, 28 KOs) lifted Davis off the boards in a move that would have pleased any WWE wrestler.

Davis found his offensive rhythm in the ninth and tenth rounds and outboxed Madueno by a score of more than 3 to 1.

“He’s a tough guy, a real physical guy,” Davis said. “We used a lot of brutal tactics in there, just trying to get under each other’s skin. We were both tough in there, and neither of us were broken.”