King of the three divisions, Newark is ready to defend its crown on its home pitch. Shakur Stevenson will make the inaugural defense of the WBC lightweight world title against Armenian-born German Olympian Artem Harutyunyan on Saturday, July 6 at the Prudential Center in Newark, Novel Jersey.

The second film will see O’Shaquie Foster defend his WBC junior lightweight world title against Brazilian Olympic gold medalist and three-time world title challenger Robson Conceição.

Keyshawn Davis will face Mexican veteran Miguel Madueño in a televised 10-round lightweight opening bout.

The Stevenson-Harutyunyan, Foster-Conceição and Davis-Madueño games will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Sports and ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Tickets promoted by Top Rank in cooperation with Universum Boxing will go on sale on Wednesday, May 22 at 2:00 PM EST on Ticketmaster.com.

“There is a special bond between Shakur and the city of Newark, and we are thrilled that he will return to once again compete in his hometown against a tough opponent in Artem Harutyunyan,” said Bob Arum, senior chairman. “O’Shaquie Foster is not afraid of the best opponents and I know that Robson Conceição is motivated to face the misfortune. And with Keyshawn Davis up against a tough opponent in Madueño, it’s quite the triple threat we have in store for the Brick City.”

“Welcoming back Top Rank, ESPN and Shakur Stevenson for the third time in two years is a great honor for the Prudential Center and the entire city of Newark,” said Dylan Wanagiel, vice president of sports facilities and special events at the Prudential Center. “We look forward to hosting an unforgettable evening filled with historic moments in the heart of Novel Jersey as Shakur faces a formidable opponent in Artem Harutyunyan for the WBC lightweight title. After back-to-back record-breaking events with Shakur as the headliner, we are thrilled to present the sweet science at our world-class facility, further cementing Newark’s reputation for marquee events around the world.

Stevenson (21-0, 10 KO) won world champion titles in three weight categories during his seven-year career. After winning a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics, he made his professional debut in 2017 and quickly rose through the ranks. He won his first world title by defeating Joet Gonzalez to capture the WBO featherweight belt in October 2019. Two years later, he defeated Jamel Herring in 10 rounds to win the WBO 130-pound title. The 26-year-old southpaw unified the world titles by handing then-WBC champion Oscar Valdez his first defeat in April 2022. Stevenson then rattled off two straight victories at the Prudential Center, defeating Conceição in September and stopping Japanese challenger Shuichiro Yoshino in six last April. Last November, Hee overtook Dominican boxer Edwin De Los Santos to become the WBC lightweight champion.

Stevenson said: “It’s good to come home to Newark where they appreciate a juvenile legend and defend the 135-pound title for the first time. July 6 Down Goes Artem!”

Harutyunyan (12-1, 7 KO) won an Olympic bronze medal for Germany in 2016. He began his professional career a year later and went 12-0 in his adopted country, defeating Samuel Molina in September 2021 and Humberto Galindo in June 2022. In July last year, he made his debut in the USA in a competition with Frank Martin. The 33-year-old found success with his aggression and right hand, although Martin rallied overdue in the match to win by a narrow unanimous decision. Harutyunyan will win his first world title against his second consecutive southpaw opponent.

Harutyunyan said: “I respect Shakur Stevenson as a champion, but I’m coming to shock the fans in his hometown and win the WBC lightweight championship. This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I will take full advantage of it. This will be my second fight in the US and I have learned and improved since losing to Frank Martin.”

Foster (22-2, 12 KO) had an illustrious amateur career with over 100 fights and an alternate spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic team before breaking into the paid ranks later that year. He faced two setbacks early in his career, including a split decision loss to Rolando Chinea in July 2016. He returned over a year later under renowned trainer Bobby Benton and has since gone 12-0. Last February, he won the WBC world title by defeating two-division world champion Rey Vargas, before dramatically defeating Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez by 12th-round knockout in October. The following month, Foster signed a long-term promotional contract with Top Rank. He returns from a well-deserved split decision over Abraham Nova in February.

Foster said: “I am excited to be back for my third title defense. Conceição is a great opponent who has been in the ring with many top fighters, but on July 6 we will be ready. I will continue to prove that I am one of the best players in the world.”

Conceição (18-2-1, 9 KO), Brazil’s inaugural Olympic boxing gold medalist, turned professional in November 2016. His only losses came against undefeated world champions, including a close decision to then-WBC champion Valdez in September 2021. defeat to Stevenson, Conceição’s clash with Nicolas Polanco in June 2022 ended in a no contest. Then last November he challenged three-division world champion Emanuel Navarrete, getting out of the ring twice and fighting to a majority draw. In April, he recorded a seventh-round TKO against Jose Guardado.

Conceição said: “I’m really looking forward to this fight with O’Shaquie Foster. This title is something I have been aiming for for a long time and I have no intention of passing up this opportunity. I can guarantee that I will give my best; I’ll leave everything in the ring. Blood, sweat and sacrifice – everything will be invested in this title fight. I am ready to face any challenge that comes my way. Let’s all move towards victory! Brazil!”

Davis (10-0, 7 KO), of Norfolk, Virginia, quickly changed his perspective to a contender. After winning 3-0 as a professional, he won a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. In November 2021, he signed a long-term promotional pact with Top Rank and has since accumulated seven wins. In 2023, he stopped Anthony Yigit in nine rounds in April and defeated Francesco Patera by 10-round decision in July. After his October victory over Nahir Albright was ruled a no contest due to a positive marijuana test, Davis returned in February with renewed energy, defeating former two-division world champion Jose Pedraza in a six-weight bout. Madueño (31-2, 28 KO) recorded three winning fights after losing by decision to Jezreel Corrales in March 2022. The streak was interrupted by a points loss to Canadian challenger Steve Claggett last November, but he quickly bounced back with a decision to Justin Pauldo in February.

Davis said: “Madueño is a tough fighter with over 30 professional fights under his belt, and I have a lot of respect for what he brings to the table. I love fighting in Newark. The fans there are special and I’m going to feed their energy and put on a show.

The Undercard action – streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+ – features the return of 20-year-old lightweight wunderkind Abdullah Mason and undefeated heavyweight prospect Damian “Polish Hussar” Knyba.

Mason (13-0, 11 KO) will appear for the third time in 2024 in an eight-round match against Puerto Rican veteran Luis Lebron. The Cleveland native went 5-0 with four knockouts last year and defeated Benjamin Gurment in two in February. In April, he defeated Ronal Ron by TKO in the fourth round. Lebron (20-5-1, 13 KO) put Prince Ragan and Henry Lebron through tough tests and stopped Giovanni Gutierrez in February.

Knyba (13-0, 7 KO), a 6-foot-8 colossus with an 86-inch reach, returns in an eight-round fight with Richard Lartey (16-6, 13 KO). He joined the Top Rank stable in January 2023 and scored a TKO victory over Curtis Harper in April, followed by decisions over Helaman Olguin in June and Michael Coffie in December.