Top Rank presents a special Thursday night edition of world championship boxing with a classic boxer vs. puncher matchup as the master of execution Shakur Stevenson will battle the hard-hitting Edwin De Los Santos (16-1, 14 KOs) for the vacant WBC lightweight world title, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas live on ESPN+.
This bout will mark Shakur Stevenson’s second time competing at lightweight, as he’s ready to showcase his skills against a very dangerous opponent. Edwin De Los Santos is going up against a pound-for-pound talent in Stevenson, and the Dominican boxer is confident he will pull off the massive upset.
A product of Newark, New Jersey, Shakur Stevenson made his pro boxing debut back in April 2017, and two years later, he defeated Joet Gonzalez by unanimous decision and won the vacant WBO featherweight title.
In 2021, Stevenson moved up and won the WBO super-featherweight strap when he scored a 10th round TKO victory over Jamel Herring.
Six months later, Stevenson became a unified champion when he defeated Oscar Valdez and won the WBC world title. Shakur would go on to move up in weight, and in his debut as a lightweight, he stopped Shuichiro Yoshino in the sixth round.
Back in August, the WBC made Devin Haney a “champion in recess” when Haney decided to move up to challenge Regis Prograis as opposed to facing his mandatory at lightweight. Now, on November 16th, the 26-year-old Shakur Stevenson (20-0, 10 KOs) will have the opportunity to win the vacant WBC lightweight title and become a three-division world champion.
Standing in his way is the talented 24-year-old Dominican boxer Edwin De Los Santos. Back in September 2022, De Los Santos garnered the attention of the boxing public when he stepped inside the squared circle to face the then-undefeated Jose “El Rayo” Valenzuela.
With 1:14 left to go in the 2nd round, Valenzuela landed a left-hand shot that sent De Los Santos down to the canvas. De Los Santos was able to get up, and thirty seconds later, he returned the favor and scored a knockdown of his own when he landed a big right hook.
De Los Santos was penalized a point due to the fact that after he scored the knockdown, he proceeded to throw and land another right hand while Venezuela was down on the canvas. In the third round, De Los Santos scored another knockdown, and after Venezuela got up to continue, De Los Santos landed a flurry of shots that caused the stoppage.
Lightweight contenders Isaac Cruz and Frank Martin turned down the opportunity, but Edwin De Los Santos welcomes his shot at facing a pound-for-pound talent. He believes in his preparation, and he also believes that he has the skill set needed to score the upset victory.
De Los Santos has an in-and-out style in which he uses his quick feet, his hand speed, and devastating punching power. He also has a very explosive first step that enables him to close the distance quickly.
Shakur Stevenson is a complicated opponent because if you press forward, he counters you; if you wait on him to throw, then he’ll pick you apart. De Los Santos’s path to victory is to punch with Shakur, rough him up, and try to make him feel uncomfortable. It also may be wise for De Los Santos to target the body.
Shakur Stevenson wins this fight by being Shakur Stevenson. He is a ring technician who is a master at controlling the range and distance. He is defensively responsible, and he has a knack for getting his opponent’s timing down, then proceeding to stand in front of them, make them miss, then make them pay.
This boxer vs. puncher matchup is an intriguing fight that has the potential to be a very entertaining bout. On Thursday night, November 16th, will Shakur Stevenson add to his accolades by becoming a three-division world champion, or will Edwin De Los Santos pull off the stunning upset and win his first world title?
To find out, tune in to ESPN+ on Thursday night, November 16th, as the event is set to get underway at 8:30 p.m. ET, with the main event ring walks scheduled for 11:30 p.m. ET.
