Shakur Stevenson out-points Artem Harutyunyan to retain WBC lightweight crown

NEW YORK – Unbeaten American Shakur Stevenson retained his World Boxing Council (WBC) lightweight title with a methodical unanimous-decision victory over Artem Harutyunyan on July 6 in Newark, New Jersey.

Stevenson improved to 22-0, with 10 wins inside the distance, after the first defence of the title he won with a narrow decision over the Dominican Republic’s Edwin de los Santos in November 2023.

But it was a lacklustre showing from both fighters and Stevenson did little on July 6 to quieten critics demanding more fireworks in his last fight under contract to promoters Top Rank.

The three-weight world champion told ESPN: “It’s kind of hard to prove (you’re the best) if you don’t have a fighter trying to fight back. He’s just trying to survive... I would have wanted him to try a little harder so it could be a more fun fight.

“I did everything I could to get him out of there too. I got to cut off the ring a little bit more... I’m going to go back to the gym and work on cutting off the ring.”

The 27-year-old added: “I want to fight the best fighters. That’s how you’re going to get to see the best version of me, when you put me in the ring with someone else who wants to fight back and compete.”

After a slow start that left fans in his home town restless, Stevenson began to wear down the Armenian-born German challenger with a series of body shots in the sixth round.

He maintained a measured pace through the 12th, the judges scoring it for the champion 119-109, 118-110 and 116-112.

Harutyunyan, in his first world title bid at the age of 33, fell to 12-2 with seven wins by knockout.

On the same card, Brazilian Robson Conceicao dethroned WBC super featherweight world champion O’Shaquie Foster with a controversial 12-round split-decision victory.

Foster’s jaw dropped as the scores were read out after a fight in which he – and many onlookers – felt he had done enough against an opponent who did not appear to land any damaging blows.

Two judges saw the bout for Conceicao 116-112 and 115-113, while the third scored it 116-112 for Foster.

“I do think I was actually the winner,” said Conceicao, a 2016 Olympic gold medallist who improved to 19-2 with one draw and nine knockouts.

“I tried way more. He didn’t come to fight. He was actually running, running, running. I kept on striking, so I was the winner.”

American Foster, who fell to 22-3 with 12 knockouts, said: “I thought it was a shutout. I didn’t get touched but with a headbutt. I don’t know, man... I want a rematch.” AFP