Shakur Stevenson eases to victory in opposition to Oscar Valdez in Las Vegas, writes Declan Warrington from ringside
AT the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday evening America’s Shakur Stevenson eased to victory in opposition to Oscar Valdez of Mexico, proving he’s by far the perfect fighter within the super-featherweight division.
He received a unanimous choice and dropped Valdez within the sixth spherical.
Amongst these seen ringside earlier than the beginning of Valdez-Stevenson was Teofimo Lopez, who on a High Rank invoice 18 months earlier, additionally at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand, produced the best efficiency of his profession to beat the good Vasiliy Lomachenko. The assumption that he had matured right into a fighter worthy of the best stage was justifiable, and but he has fought simply as soon as since, dropping to George Kambosos Jnr on an evening when he was the heavy favorite, after which not coming near returning to the ring.
Stevenson had established himself at a excessive stage when he stopped Jamel Herring in October 2021, and, in distinction to Lopez, demonstrated in opposition to Valdez the extent to which that’s more likely to show simply the beginning.
Carrying himself to the ring like a fighter relishing his standing as a titlist, he was as untroubled by the closely pro-Mexican crowd as he was by Valdez’s aggression. Utilizing a each sharp and correct jab he capitalised on his measurement benefit to nearly instantly take management.
As early as the tip of the second spherical he had realized to efficiently learn and negate his robust, confirmed opponent, and he thereafter proceeded to construct a convincing lead.
The knockdown, within the sixth spherical, convincingly captured what in the end unfolded. Stevenson’s pace meant he landed a proper hand simply as Valdez swung his left and missed to the extent that the mix of his lack of stability and the punch he had simply taken despatched him into the ropes and down.
The very good Stevenson then turned nearly disdainful of his opponent, controlling the tempo and vary of the battle and holding Valdez the place he knew he would proceed to commonly miss.
Lopez, Stevenson’s compatriot, adopted his greatest victory with the worst results of his profession when he ought to have been coming into his prime. Stevenson has already recorded a brand new excessive – and even proven he has considerably extra to attain.
