SPORTS WRAP
BY WILLIAM HATHAWAY, JR.
COVER PHOTO BY GARDY LOPEZ – TOP RANK
FIGHT PHOTOS BY EVAN KORN – TOP RANK
PRESS CONFERENCE PHOTOS BY FELICIA LAGUERRE OWENS
This past weekend at the Prudential Center, Newark once again welcomed home its native son Shakur Stevenson along with the excitement of another Top Rank boxing showcase. Eight matches made up the card, with many local area boxers taking to the ring.
The first match of night saw Ali Feliz defeat Robinson Perez in a 4 round Heavyweight clash in a unanimous decision. Next up was Kelvin Davis who came into his match at 12-0 in a Junior Welterweight 8 round match against Kevin Johnson. After a majority decision, Davis remained undefeated.
One of the most exciting events in boxing is when a young pugilist makes his pro debut, and that was the case with Newark Resident and Featherweight Keith Colon, who registered a Technical Knockout over Hunter Turbyfill in the 2nd round before his friends and family at The Rock. The win sparked memories of Vito Mielnicki, Jr.’s debut almost exactly five years ago.
In another key boxing match, Junior Lightweight Eridson Garcia extended his record to 19-1 after a 10 round unanimous decision against William Foster III.
The fifth match of the night was in the Junior Lightweight division, with young Abdullah Mason scoring a 5th round TKO over Luis Lebron who went into the fight at 20-5. Next, Lightweight Keyshawn Davis remained undefeated after beating 31-2 Miguel Madueno in a 10 round unanimous decision.
Then, in a major upset, Robson Conceicao shocked O’Shaquie Foster, who went into the fight with a 22-2 mark. In a 12 round split decision, Conceicao took the bout and the WBC Jr. Lightweight Title.
Finally, the main event of the night saw Newark native Shakur Stevenson defend his WBC Lightweight Division Title and 21-0 record against Artem Harutyunyan, who came into this match with a 12-1 record and seven knockouts. Stevenson was a heavy favorite to win, and had a lot of friends and celebrities who came to see him fight. The Champ also donated tickets to the youth of Newark and Boys Club in the city.
This fight at times was intense and the crowd enjoyed the match, contrary to what was said online. While Harutyunyan avoided being added to Stevenson’s 10 KOs, he was still outclassed by his opponent. After 12 rounds, Stevenson went to 22-0 by a unanimous decision that had the judges scoring the bout 119-109, 118-110 and 116-112 in his favor.
“It’s kind of hard to prove it if you don’t have a fighter who wants to fight back. He’s just trying to make sure he survives. He’s a good fighter. He’s tough. He’s strong. I would’ve wanted him to try a little harder, so that way it could be a more fun fight,” Stevenson said after the win. “I have to cut off the ring a bit more. He’d go one way and then go the other way, so I gotta go back in the gym and work on cutting off the gym.”
With that match in the books, Stevenson is now a free agent as a boxer regarding his contract with Top Rank boxing.
