Heading into the final fight of his Top Rank promotional contract, Shakur Stevenson needed a performance that would wipe away the disappointment of his lackluster bout against Edwin De Los Santos. A thrilling victory over a seasoned veteran could boost his marketability as he approaches free agency. However, Artem Harutyunyan had other plans.
Stevenson retained his WBC lightweight title by unanimous decision, defeating Harutyunyan at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J., with scores of 119-109, 118-110, and 116-112. Despite the clear outcome, the performance fell short of expectations.
At 27, Stevenson leaves with his belt but not the momentum to ignite talks of big-money fights with stars like Gervonta “Tank” Davis.
After a slow start that drew boos from hometown fans in the third round, Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) picked up the pace in the fourth round, targeting Harutyunyan's body with left hands that left visible marks. Stevenson intensified his attack in the sixth and seventh rounds, walking Harutyunyan (12-2, 7 KOs) down and landing left-hand counters that threatened to break his opponent's resolve.
By the eighth round, the crowd's boos shifted towards Harutyunyan for his reluctance to engage, as Stevenson's body shots began to wear him down. The tenth round saw Stevenson's right hook become a more prominent scoring tool. However, the eleventh round brought more boos, and fans started leaving before the twelfth round began. Stevenson made one final offensive push with a minute left in the twelfth, but both fighters seemed resigned to going to the scorecards.
Stevenson, who turned pro under Top Rank in 2017 after earning silver at the Rio Olympics, had expressed interest in fighting Gervonta Davis or his No. 1 contender William Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs). Zepeda scored a third-round knockout against Giovanni Cabrera earlier in the night in Ontario, Calif.
Now that Stevenson can negotiate directly with other promoters, these fights might be easier to arrange. Managed by James Prince, Stevenson remained uncertain about his next move but steadfast in his desire for top-tier challenges.
“I want to fight the best fighters in boxing. That’s how you’re gonna get to see the best version of me, when you put me in there with somebody else who fights back,” said Stevenson.