Will the chin checker get 1 more shot?

By Boxing News - 04/28/2014 - Comments

stevens1By Robert Earle Stanton: Former Member of “The Chin Checkers” – a gansta-esque duo that included super middleweight knockout artists Curtis “Showtime” Stevens and Jaidon “The Don” Condrington fell apart rather soon. “The Don” would be done in on Showtime by Allen Green and then on “The Contender” by Sakio Bika. Yet his counterpart, Curtis Stevens, seems to stick around.

Curtis “Showtime” Stevens 27 (20 KOs) with 4 losses took on an up and coming undefeated middleweight, 14 (10 KOs)-0 losses in Tureano Johnson on NBC recently. Stevens came in on his comeback from getting stopped by GGG aka Golovkin in early November 2013 on HBO,trying to make a comeback statement, as he KO’d Patrick Majeski in the first round earlier this year.

Stevens was had as many problems early on as his partner in crime, Condrington did, yet “The Don” seemed to be mentally beat, unlike a “Never give up” Gatti-like Stevens. His tasted his first defeat young by decision in his 13th fight against Marcos Primera in 2006, one year after he turned pro yet he avenged it right after, yet when it came Showtime for “Showtime” on “HBO.” Stevens put on a very poor performance in a very boring fight with two up and coming super middleweights when he fought Andre Dirrell (one in which Harold Ledderman was asked, “How can you have someone winning?” to which he retorted, “Dirrell’s doing more than the other guy”) whereas Stevens just stalked in a literal circle every round the prey of Dirrell who kept him at bey backing up with a jab. It seemed Stevens had no concept of cutting off the ring and the loss and the ugliness of that fight propelled Dirrell to get better and change while Stevens had an easy match up live on ESPN where everyone predicted, as he did, a first round knockout vs “THE CONTENDER’S” Jessie Brinkley. Yet Brinkely, being trained by Peter Manfredy’s father (on the same day Manfredy would lose to Calzaghe on HBO) would take the fight to Stevens and was incredibly ahead the whole fight going into the 12th. Stevens was called the “Chin Checker” for a reason, so he always has that one punch, but this time it would be Brinkley putting an exclamation point on the fight by knocking down Stevens in the end, beating him via Unanimous Decision.

Steven’s would ultimately make a comeback and have a good fight, going down in weight to Middleweight, on NBC, and get another shot on HBO against “Triple G” .Stevens hung tough but got beat up and knocked down and the corner called a halt to the fight. So was Steven’s done? No.

Curtis “Showtime” Stevens shrugged off the loss and knocked out Patrick Majeski in one round and started a new comeback going 1-0 into the under-card match of CUNNINGHAM vs MA Doubleheader where he took on a big task in 30 year old undefeated 14 (10 KO’s) – 0 Tureano Johnson.

Johnson took it to him from the start, taking some advice from “Triple G” on how to smother him and not let him get a punch off and seemed to be winning every round in this 10 rounder. Curtis was getting smothered and beaten by Johnson the whole phone-both akin fight as you had his trainer pleading with him to do it for his kid and before the 10th and final round, an incredulous, “I don’t know why you’re doing this, Curtis” and yet the 10th round started like the rest of the prior 9 until… until…. BANG, – a right hook from THE CHIN CHECKER Curtis “Showtime” Stevens took Johnson up against the ropes and punched away until the referee made a quick stoppage. John would verbally protest the stoppage, which was early, but inevitable and accept his first loss. The Chin Checker has a new run with his 27th career victory and 20th knockout going 2 and 0 with 2 KO’s with losses against credible guys like Golovkin and Dirrell and going in overconfident against Jessie Brinkley as an upset.

So what’s next for THE CHIN CHECKER Curtis “SHOWTIME” Stevens? YOU WANT A WAR?

Stevens says he wants to fight James Kirkland which would be an interesting crossroads match – a fight that could put Stevens in the Limelight and ruin Kirkland, or give Kirkland a title shot, and ruin Stevens. And with this fight, from Wednesday night, we’re talking Ward-Gatti, Toney-Jirov, Corraless-Castillo kind of fight.

To add to Stevens’ character, Kathy Duva said after the fight,

“Curtis, you are still one of the ballsy-est fighters still in this sport.”



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