Boxing writer John Macdonald breaks down this weekend's WBC lightweight title bout between Shakur Stevenson and Artem Harutyunyan and gives his pick and prediction for the fight.
In boxing, rightly or wrongly, fighters are judged on what they have done lately.
Unfortunately for Stevenson, his last showing was a painfully dull victory over Edwin De Los Santos last November. Winning is not enough for the three-weight world champion, he must look good doing so while fighting in front of a hometown crowd.
Harutyunyan may not be a household name, but the 2016 Rio Olympian proved he can provide a stern test to the best when he dropped a tight decision loss to Frank Martin a year ago.
Martin struggled with the pressure and awkward style of the Germany-based Armenian, but ‘The Original’ ran out of steam late in the fight and was forced to take a knee in the final round.
Stevenson’s hand speed and accuracy will like take a toll on the challenger as the fight goes on.
I think there is value in backing the Newark native to stop Harutyunyan in the second half of the bout at +150.
Pick: Shakur Stevenson to win in Rounds 7-12 +150
Shakur Stevenson | Artem Harutyunyan | |
Money Line | -3500 | +1300 |
To Win by KO/TKO/DQ | -150 | +2000 |
To Win by Decision/Technical Decision | +120 | +5000 |
Read Shakur Stevenson vs. Artem Harutyunyan Tale of the Tape on site.
Odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.