Shakur Stevenson just showed us all why he’s the new boss in town, snatching the WBC lightweight crown with a slick unanimous decision over Edwin De Los Santos. This guy’s record? A clean 21-0, now with 10 KOs. The fight went down at the T-Mobile Arena, and let me tell you, Stevenson put on a boxing masterclass.
Stevenson, only 26 and fighting southpaw, didn’t give De Los Santos a chance to land anything significant. Every time De Los Santos thought he had a shot, Stevenson was already two steps ahead, dancing out of reach.
De Los Santos, feeling the heat, started trying to get into Stevenson’s head in the fifth round, but no luck. Stevenson was all business, keeping him at bay with sharp counterpunches. The judges? They saw it clear as day – 115-113 and 116-112, all in favor of Stevenson.
After the fight, Stevenson was straight-up honest. He said it wasn’t his best night, feeling off his game. But a win’s a win, and he did what he had to do to bag that title.
De Los Santos had his own take, claiming Stevenson was more about running than fighting. He called himself the people’s champ, despite the judges’ call.
Navarrete and Conceição’s Clash Ends in a Draw
The co-feature was just as electric, with Emanuel Navarrete and Robson Conceição battling to a majority draw.
Navarrete, the WBO junior lightweight champ and a three-division titleholder, had a tough time with Conceição’s slick moves. But he caught him in the fourth, breaking through his defense and sending the Brazilian Olympic gold medalist to the mat.
Conceição wasn’t going down without a fight, though. He came back strong, trading blows and catching Navarrete with some slick counter right hands. The momentum was shifting, but Navarrete dropped him again in the seventh.
The fight was a rollercoaster right till the last bell, with both warriors giving it their all. In the end, the judges couldn’t split them – one had it 114-112 for Navarrete, but the other two called it even at 113-113.
Navarrete showed respect, praising Conceição’s heart and skill. He’s up for a rematch, but says it’s not all up to him.
Conceição echoed the sentiment. It was tough, he said, but he’s ready to do it all over again and put on an even bigger show.
Undercard
Brian Norman Jr., the new king of the welterweights, snatched the WBO International title, leaving Quinton Randall in the dust. Despite a clinch-heavy brawl, Norman’s aggression paid off, dominating with scores of 99-91 twice and 97-93.
Bantamweight Clash: Floyd ‘Cash Flow’ Diaz turned heads in Vegas, overcoming a height mismatch to drop Max Ornelas twice and snatch the WBC Youth belt. Diaz’s left hooks did the magic, earning him a split decision win with scores of 77-73, 78-72 in his favor, and one odd 76-74 for Ornelas.
Middleweight Showdown: Troy Isley, the Tokyo 2020 U.S. Olympian, faced a Mexican storm in Vladimir Hernandez but emerged victorious. The fight was a slugfest, with Isley being pinned but ultimately outpunching Hernandez. All judges saw it 77-75, giving Isley a tough-earned win.
Lightweight Spotlight: Emiliano Fernando Vargas, the rising star, dazzled with a rapid second-round stoppage against Brandon Mendoza. Vargas was on the hunt from the get-go, dropping Mendoza in round one and finishing him off with a chopping right in the next round. Time of stoppage: a quick 57 seconds.
Heavyweight Battle: Australian southpaw ‘White Chocolate’ Jackson Murray kept his record spotless, schooling Steven Torres over six rounds. Murray’s right hook sent Torres to the canvas in round three, and he never looked back, sweeping the judges’ cards 60-53 across the board.
Lightweight Phenom: 19-year-old Abdullah Mason showed why he’s a knockout artist, flooring Jose Cardenas twice and wrapping it up in the third round. Mason’s left hands were too much, ending the fight at 1:55.
Junior Welterweight Debut: Hugo Micallef, ‘The Fresh Prince of Monaco,’ made a statement in his U.S. debut, outclassing Sergio Odabai and forcing a stoppage in the fourth round. Micallef’s skills were on full display, with the ref stepping in to save Odabai from more punishment.
Super Middleweight Opener: Giovanni Sarchioto kicked off the night with a bang, securing a third-round TKO over Lucas de Abreu. Sarchioto’s power was too much, ending the fight at 2:06.