By Scott Gilfoid: With IBF super middleweight champion Carl Froch opting to sidestep him in favor of a unification match against WBA super middleweight champion Mikkel Kessler, #1 IBF 168 lb. contender Adonis Stevenson (19-1, 16 KO’s) has decided to face journeyman Darnell Boone (19-20-3, 8 KO’s) in a rematch on March 22nd at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Canada.
Stevenson, 35, was knocked out in the 2nd round by Boone three years ago in April 2010. The southpaw Stevenson didn’t respect Boone’s power and got a little wild by loading up on a big left uppercut. Boone came over the top with a huge right hand that knocked Stevenson down.
The fight was quickly stopped despite the fact that Stevenson popped back to his feet. However, I think it was a good stoppage because Boone was going to unload on Stevenson with some of his right hands and Stevenson might have been hurt. Boone may have a poor record, but he can really punch. He’d have teed off on Stevenson had the fight been allowed to continue, and I could see Boone knocking Stevenson out cold in that situation. There’s no shame in Stevenson getting knocked out by Boone because it could happen to anyone, but it does give you a pretty could indication of how good Stevenson’s chin is.
Boone knocked Andre Ward down in the 4th round in their fight in November 2005, and Ward feels that Boone has the best power of anyone he’s faced in career, and Ward has been in with Mikkel Kessler, Arthur Abraham and Carl Froch.
Stevenson is taking a big risk in facing Boone again because if he gets knocked out by Boone, he can forget all about fighting Froch for the IBF title or fighting for the vacant IBF title if Froch decides to vacate his title.
Stevenson has good hand speed and power, but he’s probably not going to knock Boone early. Stevenson will have to be able to take Boone’s big right hand shots for least three or four rounds if he wants to take him out. Can Stevenson do that? I don’t know. He didn’t do it last time, and Boone is punching as just as hard now as he was then.
Boone hasn’t been winning a lot lately, but that’s normal for him. He’s had a poor record during most of his career, but the guys that beat him are able to take his big right hands shot. Stevenson obviously couldn’t, which makes you wonder about Stevenson’s chin.
Maybe Stevenson is someone that can dish it out but can’t take it. If that’s the case then Boone will definitely knock Stevenson out next month and ruin his chances of a fight for the IBF strap.
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