Shakur Stevenson just claimed his throne as the three-weight champ. In a dazzling display at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Stevenson outboxed and outclassed Edwin De Los Santos to snatch the vacant WBC lightweight belt.
Stevenson, a 26-year-old southpaw, turned the ring into a masterclass session. He had De Los Santos swinging at shadows most of the night, dodging and weaving like it was nothing. De Los Santos tried to get under Stevenson’s skin in the fifth, but all he got in return were a bunch of counterpunches for his troubles.
The judges? They saw it Stevenson’s way – one had it close at 115-113, but the others had it a more comfortable 116-112.
After the fight, Stevenson was his own harshest critic, saying he wasn’t at his best. But hey, he still walked away with the win, and that’s what counts in the end.
De Los Santos? He wasn’t having any of it. He claimed Stevenson was more about running than fighting, calling himself the people’s champ despite the loss.
Emanuel Navarrete and Robson Conceição threw down in a clash that had fans on the edge of their seats. It was a back-and-forth war that ended in a majority draw. Navarrete, the WBO junior lightweight king, had his hands full with Conceição’s slick moves, but he managed to drop the Brazilian twice.
Despite hitting the canvas, Conceição came back strong, trading leather with Navarrete right up to the final bell. The scores? One judge had it for Navarrete, but the other two couldn’t split them, both scoring it 113-113.
Navarrete was gracious, praising Conceição and hinting at a rematch. Conceição echoed those sentiments, calling for a second dance to settle the score.
