Shakur Stevenson shuts out Jeremiah Nakathila but fails to impress

Shakur Stevenson informed Jeremiah Nakathila that he would by no means lose to a cop, and he backed up his declare on Saturday, however didn’t impress.

Stevenson, a highly-touted rising star and 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist, placed on a boxing clinic in a shutout determination to simply win a secondary junior light-weight title in the primary occasion of the Prime Rank Boxing on ESPN+ card on the Virgin Motels in Las Vegas.

All three judges scored the combat 120-107 for Stevenson, however he was not a fan of his total presentation.

“To be trustworthy with you, I didn’t actually like my efficiency,” he said sporting a mouse under his proper eye. “I felt I might’ve carried out so much higher, however it was an ungainly fighter.

“You had an ungainly fighter throwing onerous punches, and he is aware of the best way to seize and get away. He was an actual awkward fighter. That’s all.”

Additionally not a fan of the efficiency was ESPN ringside analyst and former two-division champion Timothy Bradley, who was very candid following the combat.

“I’m not gonna lie. I virtually fell asleep watching as a result of I used to be ready on him to step it up like I do know he is aware of the best way to, however that simply reveals he nonetheless wants some extra maturing inside that ring.”

Whatever the degree of pleasure, Stevenson received the combat with ease.

A professional for under 4 years, Stevenson received a vacant featherweight title on the age of twenty-two within the second-fewest fights in boxing historical past behind solely the three bouts it took Vasiliy Lomachenko to perform the nod.

The aforementioned belt was additionally vacated by fellow 130-pounder Oscar Valdez (29-0, 23 KOs), who brutally knocked out long-reigning champion Miguel Berchelt to raise the WBC belt in a Knockout of the 12 months caliber efficiency on February 20 in on the MGM Grand Convention Heart in Las Vegas.

“If I had the selection, I’d take Oscar Valdez [for my next fight].”

It was a cost-effective first spherical for Stevenson (16-0, 8 KOs), a southpaw from Newark, New Jersey, however he did clip Nakathila with a looping left hand that wobbled him.

In spherical two, Stevenson dropped Nakathila with a pointy proper uppercut, however referee Celestino Ruiz incorrectly dominated it a slip.

Stevenson obtained the knockdown for actual in spherical 4 when he linked with a examine proper hook that despatched the unheralded contender Nakathila to the canvas for the primary time in his profession.

Stevenson landed with a stiff left hand in spherical seven, however Nakathila (21-1, 17 KOs), a 31-year-old police officer from Namibia, continued to come back ahead however provided little resistance.

The 23-year-old Stevenson dominated the motion, however the combat was additionally marred by referee Celestino Ruiz warning the fighters at the least 34 occasions, which additionally occurred to be greater than the variety of punches landed for Nakathila by means of 12 rounds.

In line with Compubox, Stevenson outlanded 114-28 in complete punch connects. Nakathila landed simply 9 p.c of his blows.

“I attempted to [get him out of there] just a little bit, however I began getting hit with some stable photographs,” he added. “I ain’t actually prefer it, however subsequent time I’m going to work on shifting my head just a little bit extra and step it up just a little extra.”

In spherical 12, Stevenson dropped Nakathila, who got here into the bout with 10 consecutive knockouts with one other examine hook, however Ruiz missed it once more. Nonetheless, he didn’t miss the foot touching, which is quite common in righty vs. lefty fights.

Stevenson additionally known as out WBO junior light-weight titlist Jamel Herring (23-2, 11 KOs).

“Jamel can’t beat me. He is aware of what it’s.”

The 35-year-old Herring, who served two excursions in Iraq with the U.S. Marine Corps, disregarded Stevenson’s phrases.

“That’s simply boxing discuss to me,” he mentioned. “On the finish of the day, the one factor that actually issues is the fists doing the speaking.”