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.”

It was fitting that a fight built around image rather than substance would ultimately reflect that vigorous. Both Jorge Masvidal and Nate Diaz have earned legions of fans for their bad-boy personas and striking skills in MMA. But their fight at the top of the pay-per-view card Saturday in Anaheim, Calif., felt more like a classic rock band touring than a world airy heavyweight championship boxing match.

Diaz defeated Masvidal by majority decision in the main event at the Honda Center before a packed crowd of 18,040, avenging his MMA loss to Masvidal five years ago.

The scores were 95-95, 98-92 and 97-93.

Diaz (1-1), 39, of Stockton, Calif., came out robust and clearly won the first round, while Masvidal (1-1), 39, of Miami, Fla., improved by fighting from a left-handed stance. Diaz’s forward pressure supported Masvidal, who showed off his angles and movement. However, the fight was not the most aesthetically pleasing.

As the two fought, the punches seemed secondary to the spectacle of two legendary MMA fighters, both approaching 40, sharing a boxing ring and putting in what is sure to be one of their final performances in combat sports. While this wasn’t a world title fight they were competing in, both fighters put in a ton of effort in a grueling fight. Diaz’s relentless pressure was reminiscent of Antonio Margarito’s, while Masvidal used more conventional techniques and effectively timed Diaz.

Through eight rounds, the two men mirrored each other in the punching stats, with Masvidal landing slightly more than Diaz. Masvidal had his most impactful round, landing good body shots, but Diaz recovered toward the end. Masvidal continued to land eye-catching punches, and the two fought until the final bell.

The judges appreciated Diaz’s aggression and volume, awarding him a majority decision victory.