Shakur Stevenson showed that the fight in him is second to none

NEW YORK -- Even though helium was an undefeated three-division satellite champion with a importantly higher illustration than anyone other connected the card, Shakur Stevenson was relegated to the co-main lawsuit of Ring Magazine 3 by Turki Alalshikh, the president of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority, presumably owed to his fights not being entertaining enough. Instead, Edgar Berlanga -- who mislaid a terribly one-sided combat to Canelo Alvarez past September -- was elevated to the main event.

It was wide that Alalshikh was making a connection that he's against the thought of "Tom & Jerry fights" (read: wherever 1 boxer runs from the other) and Stevenson's past fewer fights, portion dominant, acceptable the bill. Stevenson didn't instrumentality galore risks.

For the duration of the promotion for his WBC lightweight rubric defence against the offensive-minded William Zepeda, Stevenson promised that helium wouldn't beryllium moving from his opponent. And erstwhile the combat took spot astatine Louis Armstrong Stadium connected Saturday, Stevenson not lone delivered connected his promise, but he delivered a one-sided drubbing to Zepeda with a adjacent shutout victory.

And aft Hamzah Sheeraz wiped retired Berlanga, the expected prima of the show, successful 5 rounds, it was wide that Stevenson should never, ever beryllium a co-main lawsuit combatant again.

"I came successful present to beryllium a point," said Stevenson aft winning a unanimous decision. "It wasn't the show I was looking for due to the fact that I came successful present trying to beryllium a point, I was trying to fight. So, I took much punishment than usual. But astatine the extremity of the day, I told y'all immoderate it takes to get the occupation done."

Stevenson landed an absurdly precocious 52.5% of his punches (295 of 565) implicit the people of the 12-round fight. Zepeda, portion busy, struggled to link against an hostile that stood close successful beforehand of him, landing 272 of 979 punches for 27.8%, according to CompuBox.

Reading those numbers, you would wonderment what Stevenson meant erstwhile helium said that helium took much punishment than usual. When Stevenson isn't trying to enactment successful the pocket, he's utilizing his lateral question to enactment retired of range. According to Compubox, Stevenson allows the fewest punches to onshore connected him per circular compared to different championship-caliber fighters, with a miniscule 5.4 punches landed connected him per round. On Saturday, Zepeda landed 22.6 punches per round. But Stevenson won 10 of 12 rounds connected 2 judges' scorecards and 11 of 12 rounds connected the 3rd scorecard.

Statement made.

"Shakur Stevenson shows he's the existent woody with a immense triumph implicit William Zepeda," Alalshikh posted connected X aft the fight.

Whatever the crushed was for him to beryllium successful the co-main event, the champion proved that helium is bully capable to triumph fights successful immoderate mode helium wants. He's a superb combatant that shouldn't beryllium forced to combat a antithetic mode because casual fans finds it unexciting.

Although knockouts are exciting, Sheeraz's beatdown of Berlanga shouldn't beryllium expected from fighters successful bid to beryllium successful the main event. Boxing is an art, and the top practitioners of the saccharine subject anticipation to exit the athletics with their wits intact. Penalizing superb fighters similar Stevenson due to the fact that their opponents aren't bully capable to bushed them sends the incorrect message. This is already a pugnacious sport, and asking fighters to bludgeon each different for the involvement of amusement and wantonness the antiaircraft broadside of the crippled is preposterous.

Stevenson showed what helium could bash erstwhile helium felt similar helium needed to, but present the onus shouldn't beryllium connected him. Instead, his opponents should enactment harder to find ways to bushed him. Hopefully, this is the past clip we spot a combatant punished for being excessively good.