By Jack Tiernan: Efe Ajagba (16-1, 13 KOs) tried his best to intimidate Stephan Shaw (18-0, 13 KOs) at the weigh-in on Friday, giving him menacing looks to try and get under his skin ahead of their bout in the main event this Saturday, January 14th on ESPN, ESPN Deportes & ESPN+ at the Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, New York. The card begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.
(Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank via Getty Images)
The 6’6″ Ajagba weighed 235.25 lbs and resembled a statue. For his part, Shaw weighed 239.5 lbs and looked in good shape but not on the level of Ajagba.
Efe Ajagba can’t afford another defeat
Saturday’s fight is important for both fighters, as they want to move their careers along.
The 2016 Olympian Ajagba is fighting for the second time since his loss to Frank Sanchez in October 2021, and he obviously wants to show that he’s made the improvements required from that loss to get back in the top-tier rankings.
Before that loss, Ajagba was ranked by the WBC, but the way that Sanchez dominated him resulted in the sanctioning body dropping him to the second tier. If Ajagba were to lose on Saturday night against Shaw, it would be catastrophic for his career, showing that he’s just too badly flawed for him to turn things around.
Full weigh-in results:
Efe Ajagba 235.25 vs. Stephan Shaw 239.5
Guido Vianello 239 vs. Jonnie Rice 274.25
Abraham Nova 129 vs. Adam Lopez 129
Haven Brady Jr. 132.75 vs. Ruben Cervera 130.25
Bryce Mills 143 vs. Margarito Hernandez 144.25
Floyd Diaz 122 vs. Edwin Rodriguez 121.5
Brian Norman Jr. 149 vs. Rodrigo Damian Coria 148.25
Bruce Carrington 128 vs. Juan Antonio Lopez 127.5
Dante Benjamin Jr. 174 vs. Emmanueal Austin 175
Tim Bradley picks Shaw to beat Ajagba
“Neither guy can afford a loss, especially Ajagba, who is mechanical but has something you can’t teach but can only be defined: power. Can Shaw avoid the right hand Ajagba has coming his way? Can Shaw be consistent and calculated at the same time? I believe he can. I’m going with Shaw by decision for the upset,” said Tim Bradley to ESPN+.
“Frank Sanchez, a fleet-footed boxer, provided a blueprint on how to beat Ajagba when he cruised to a wide unanimous decision in October 2021 over Ajagba behind movements and a great jab. That’s something Shaw is capable of doing.”
I don’t know if you can rightly call a win for Shaw an upset because he’s got better technical skills than Ajagba.