Shakur Stevenson, right, punches Germany’s Artem Harutyunyan during the ninth round of a WBC world lightweight championship boxing match Sunday, July 7, 2024, in Newark, N.J. Stevenson won the fight. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Unbeaten American Shakur Stevenson retained his World Boxing Council lightweight world title with a methodical unanimous decision victory over Artem Harutyunyan on Saturday in Newark, New Jersey.
Stevenson improved to 22-0 with 10 wins inside the distance, making his first defense of the title he won with a narrow decision over Dominican puncher Edwin De Los Santos last November.
That made Stevenson a three-weight world champion, but it was a lackluster showing from both fighters and Stevenson did little on Saturday to quiet critics demanding more fireworks in his last fight under contract to promoter Top Rank.
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.@ShakurStevenson finding his rhythm 🔥 pic.twitter.com/42O89u5lt8
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) July 7, 2024
After a slow start that left fans at the Prudential Center in Stevenson’s hometown restless, Stevenson began to wear down the Armenian-born German challenger with a series of body shots in the sixth round.
He maintained a measured pace through the 12th, the judges scoring it for the champion 119-109, 118-110 and 116-112.
Harutyunyan, in his first world title bid, fell to 12-2 with seven wins inside the distance.
On the same card, Brazilian Robson Conceicao dethroned WBC super featherweight world champion O’Shaquie Foster with a controversial 12-round split decision victory.
Foster’s jaw dropped in stunned consternation as the scores were read out after a fight in which he — and many onlookers — felt he had done enough against an opponent who didn’t appear to land any damaging blows.
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But two judges saw the bout for Conceicao 116-112 and 115-113, while the third scored it 116-112 for Foster.
“I do think I was actually the winner,” said Conceicao, a 2016 Olympic gold medallist who improved to 19-2 with one drawn and nine knockouts.
“I tried way more. He didn’t come to fight, he was actually running, running, running, I kept on striking, so I was the winner.”
Foster fell to 22-3 with 12 knockouts.
“I thought it was a shut-out,” Foster said. “I didn’t get touched but with a head-butt. I don’t know, man … I want a rematch.”