Fiona Nanna, ForeMedia News

4 minutes read. Updated 3:00PM GMT Sun, 7 July, 2024

In a thrilling night of boxing in Newark, New Jersey, Shakur Stevenson defended his WBC lightweight world title with a commanding victory over Artem Harutyunyan. Meanwhile, Robson Conceicao pulled off a stunning upset against O’Shaquie Foster to capture the WBC super-featherweight championship. Keyshawn Davis also impressed with his continued ascent in the sport.

Fighting in front of his hometown crowd at the Prudential Center, Shakur Stevenson showcased his boxing prowess, outclassing his challenger, Artem Harutyunyan, over 12 rounds. The judges scored the bout decisively in Stevenson’s favor with scores of 119-109, 118-110, and 116-112. Stevenson, known for his technical skill and defensive brilliance, maintained control throughout the fight, frustrating Harutyunyan with his movement and precision.

Stevenson reflected on his performance, stating, “He’s just trying to make sure he survives. He’s a good fighter. He’s tough. He’s strong. I would’ve wanted him to try a little harder so that it could be a more fun fight. I have to cut off the ring a bit more. He’d go one way and then go the other way, so I got to go back in the gym and work on cutting off the ring.”

Harutyunyan, despite the loss, acknowledged the challenge, saying, “Of course it was fun. Boxing is not a game. You have to fight. You get hit and have to hit back. It’s normal.”

In a significant upset on the undercard, Brazilian Olympic gold medallist Robson Conceicao defeated O’Shaquie Foster to win the WBC super-featherweight title. This victory marked Conceicao’s fourth attempt at securing a world title, and he emerged victorious via a split decision. The judges scored the fight 116-112 for Foster on one card, but the other two judges saw it 116-112 and 115-113 for Conceicao.

Conceicao, elated with his triumph, dedicated the win to his daughter, saying, “This is for my daughter. I promised this to my daughter, and I was able to fulfill that promise. I’m the champion of the world.”

However, Foster vehemently disagreed with the decision. “I thought it was easy. I thought it was an easy fight. I didn’t get touched except with a headbutt. I don’t know, man,” he expressed. “I’ll be back. But I want the rematch. They stole this from me. They stole this fight from me. I just wanted to show the world I could bang it out, and if I want to, I don’t have to get touched. I guess it wasn’t good enough for the judges.”

Keyshawn Davis continued his impressive run, overcoming the pressure and roughhouse tactics of Miguel Madueno to secure a unanimous decision win. Davis, an Olympic silver medallist from Norfolk, Virginia, improved his record to 11-0 with the victory. The judges scored the bout 99-91 across all three scorecards.

Davis demonstrated his composure and tactical acumen, landing well-timed counter-punches and outmaneuvering Madueno, who resorted to physical tactics. “He’s a rough type of guy, a real physical type of guy,” Davis noted. “We were doing a lot of rough tactics in there, just trying to get under each other’s skin. We were both tough in there, and neither of our wills got broke.”

Cleveland prodigy Abdullah Mason delivered a sensational knockout against Luis Lebron in the third round. Lebron, a seasoned Puerto Rican veteran who had never been stopped before, was overwhelmed by Mason’s power and precision. Mason knocked Lebron down twice in the second round, first with an overhand left and then with a series of right hooks. The bout was halted at 1:18 of the third round when Lebron’s corner threw in the towel to prevent further damage.

Reflecting on his victory, Mason said, “I guess we fed him a little bit of smoke, and he didn’t have the appetite for it.”

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