Championship Boxing Live from New Jersey: Stevenson vs Harutyunyan
Live from earlier today: Saturday, July 6th, from the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey: Shakur Stevenson vs Artem Harutyunyan. The televised quadruple-header Boxing Championship was Broadcast live on ESPN, with our New York Sports Reporter Kristal Hart bringing you the World WBC Lightweight Boxing Championship Title fight.
For our shows: Entertainment & Sports Today and Entertainment Today, for over 25 years Kristal Hart has covered many Entertainment related events, and special live events in New York, the East Coast, and overseas, but specializes in sporting events, and she is at the top of her game when she covers live Boxing Championship fights for us, and this exciting fight was no exception! 
By a unanimous decision Shakur Stevenson the hometown hero from Newark, New Jersey, who is undefeated with 22 straight wins- with 10 by knockout: successfully defended his WBC Lightweight world title tonight against Artem Harutyunyan (12-2, 7 KOs). Shakur started this championship boxing title fight out slowly as he was testing Harutyuyan’s skills, reach, strength and speed, and then carefully selected his punches at a conservative pace over 12 rounds to win by a unanimous decision from all 3 judges, with scores of 119-109, 118-110, 116-112.
Shakur Stevenson is a three division world champion: winning titles at 126, 130 and 135 pounds, where he currently reigns. He won the WBO featherweight title over Joe Gonzalez in 2019, the first world title of his career.
Shakur was a Bantamweight silver medalist at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio De Janeiro, while at those same Olympic games the now 33 year old: Artem Harutyunyan, represented Germany and won the bronze medal.
Shakur entered this bout nearly a year removed from winning the vacant WBC world lightweight title over Edwin De Los Santos on Nov. 16, 2023. He’s continued his undefeated run to start his career despite moving up to the stacked lightweight class last year.
Now Kristal Hart will bring you the Round-by-round analysis of this great lightweight Championship boxing match:
- Round 1: Harutyunyan stayed active early on, moving a lot more than Stevenson to start the bout. Stevenson caught him with a counterpunch multiple times while staying just out of range. His defense was fully on display in the first frame.
- Round 2: Harutyunyan’s less-predictable movements forced Stevenson to take extra time to decide how to attack. Stevenson avoided most of Harutyunyan’s punches and only peppered him with a few hits.
- Round 3: Harutyunyan continues to be the more engaged fighter. He landed a couple of big hits in the middle of the round. Stevenson finally connected on a big hit in the final minute before Harutyunyan had him on the ropes to close the round.
- Round 4: Stevenson hit Harutyunyan with a big combination midway through the round after a slow first 90 seconds. Harutyunyan tested him with an uppercut but Stevenson managed to dodge it. Stevenson closed the round with one landed hit among multiple misses.
- Round 5: Harutyunyan landed a few punches early and kept the aggression up into the second minute of the round. Stevenson powered back, though, with multiple big hits, including one to Harutyunyan’s head. Stevenson ended the round in emphatic fashion with a couple of powerful shots to Harutyunyan’s body in the final minute.
- Round 6: Stevenson found his rhythm with a mix of aggressive shots, dodges and defense. Harutyunyan fired multiple powerful shots but only connected with Stevenson’s shoulders. After moving a lot in the opening rounds, Harutyunyan looked slower in the final minute of the round. ESPN statistics state Stevenson landed 74 of 163 punches (45%) to 31 of 195 for Harutyunyan (16%).
- Round 7: Harutyunyan came out with more energy after a sluggish finish to Round 6. Stevenson responded with multiple shots, including a powerful left hand hit. He’s still managing to avoid contact from much of Harutyunyan’s punches. Stevenson landed multiple sweeping left hands to Harutyunyan’s face in the final minute of the round.
- Round 8: Harutyunyan came out with more energy again to stay in front of Stevenson. Both boxers moved around the ring more than usual in this round before Stevenson landed some strong hits to Harutyunyan’s body.
- Round 9: Stevenson started more on the defensive in this round. He powered in multiple big punches in the second minute to Harutyunyan’s body, specifically with his left hand. Harutyunyan went defensive in the final minute of the round before fighting back and landing a big hit to Stevenson’s face.
- Round 10: Harutyunyan continued his aggression from the closing minute of Round 9. Stevenson responded with body shots in the second minute. Harutyunyan fought back with jabs to Stevenson’s body in one of the closer rounds of the bout.
- Round 11: Harutyunyan came out swinging in the opening minute. Stevenson went on the defensive, much to the disappointment of fans in his hometown Newark who booed him in the second minute. Harutyunyan continues to go aggressive. After the result from the co-main event, anything is possible.
- Round 12: The defensive clinic continues for Stevenson who’s forced Harutyunyan to land just 17% of his punches. Some of Stevenson’s best punches came in a combination in the middle of this round. Both boxers went to heavy swings to close the round but managed to avoid each other’s big hits.
- In summary: Stevenson hit Harutyunyan to the body several times, landing 66 such shots. The champion outlanded the challenger 170-74 overall. Stevenson controlled range with his jab, was able to fend off Harutyunyan’s attacks and counter with sharp combinations of his own. Harutyunyan (12-2, 7 KOs) was fighting in his first world-title bout. He entered the ring on the heels of a spirited decision loss to lightweight contender Frank Martin in July, a fight in which he was dropped in the 12th round.
- There will be a lot more great shows from Kristal Hart, coming soon from Entertainment & Sports Today and Entertainment Today, so stay tuned!
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