SHAKUR Stevenson produced a masterful performance, combined with just the right amount of spite, to retain his WBC world lightweight title against William Zepeda.
Prior to their encounter earlier this morning, the 28-year-old was under a fair amount of pressure, it seemed, to approach his title defence with a fan-friendly style.
And not only did he do just that, but Stevenson, 24-0 (11 KOs), also showcased his remarkable technical prowess to claim a wide unanimous decision victory at the Louis Armstrong Stadium, New York.
Two scorecards of 118-110 swung in his favour, while the third judge arrived at an even wider margin of 119-109.
Indeed, Stevenson controlled proceedings in the opening round, not by boxing passively on the backfoot, but instead, with a far more assertive approach at mid-range.
His sharp combinations were then met with a barrage of body attacks from Zepeda, 33-1 (27 KOs), whose aggression seemed measured rather than reckless, as if he was looking to pry open his opponent’s defensive shield.
Seamlessly enough, the Mexican extended his success into the third round, forcing an expression of pure urgency to appear across Stevenson’s face as he landed a thudding jab.
The shot, which momentarily knocked the American off balance, certainly seemed to wake him up, yet Zepeda nonetheless continued to pile on the pressure.
Stevenson then responded by adopting a shoulder-roll guard, utilising his natural slickness to spring into range with a series of pull-back counters off the ropes.
By the sixth round, the defensive technician appeared to have firmly established his rhythm, fluid enough to see him jolt Zepeda’s head back with a blistering combination.
An almost mirror image of that flurry then materialised in the eighth frame, while Zepeda’s style, though proving less effective than his opponent’s, remained relentless.
As if to remove any doubt over his control of the fight, though, Stevenson spent the following three minutes landing his rat-a-tat-tat combinations, before producing an even more dominant display in the championship rounds.
Wishing to cement his clinic, the slick southpaw only enhanced his punch output in the final visit, punishing Zepeda with sharp counters and a tidy pair of feet.
In doing so, Stevenson was able to take care of his mandatory challenger in comfortably-hard fashion, blending his traditionally defensive style with a more all-action approach.
