Shakur Stevenson beats Artem Harutyunyan, retains WBC title

Shakur Stevenson's recent victory over Artem Harutyunyan to retain his WBC title was a testament to his skill and determination as a boxer. The match showcased Stevenson's technical prowess and strategic thinking, as he outmaneuvered and outboxed his opponent throughout the fight.

Stevenson's ability to maintain control of the ring and dictate the pace of the match was evident from the opening bell. His footwork and defensive skills allowed him to evade Harutyunyan's attacks while delivering precise counter punches that kept his opponent on the defensive.

Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) controlled the action from start to finish and turned in an exceptional boxing performance. While the southpaw champion was desperate for a stoppage, he didn’t put a foot wrong through 12 rounds and was levels above.

“He was just trying to make sure he survived,” said Stevenson during his post-fight interview with ESPN+. “He’s a good fighter; tough, strong, but I’d have wanted him to try a little harder and it would have been a fun fight.”

Neither fighter was down nor seriously hurt in the fight. Artem sustained some facial damage, which is no surprise given the amount of clean punches he absorbed. The challenger lasted the distance, but he had next to no success and was continually made to flounder.

Stevenson continued to push the pace a little more aggressively than usual, but still didn't open up enough to get the finish. It was the kind of performance that shows off just what Stevenson can do without necessarily winning him more fans.

It took Stevenson a few rounds to download information before he began gaining momentum and banking rounds. The sixth and seventh rounds had the champion depositing hard shots to the body that hurt Harutyunyan and curbed his aggression as Stevenson spent the remainder of the fight, splitting the challenger's guard with the jab and piecing together stinging combinations that the outclassed Armenian fighter had zero answers for. 

By the end of the bout, Stevenson had landed 44 percent of his power punches to Harutyunyan's 18 percent.

Stevenson is a three-division world champion, having held titles at featherweight and junior lightweight before moving up to 135 pounds in April. Stevenson became a lightweight champion last November when outpointed Edwin De Los Santos in a historically sluggish affair to claim the vacant WBC belt.

Foster (22-3, 12 KOs) won the title with a decision victory over Rey Vargas in March 2022. Conceicao (19-2-1, 9 KOs) previously lost to Stevenson and Oscar Valdez in title challenges, though neither fight was contested on an even playing field. Stevenson was stripped of the title after he failed to make weight against Conceicao, and Valdez tested positive for a performance-enhancing drug weeks before their fight.

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Sarah H

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