Shakur Stevenson Clinches WBC Lightweight Title in Unprecedented Bout. In a riveting showdown in Las Vegas, Shakur Stevenson, the American boxing sensation and three-division titleholder, emerged victorious in a hard-fought battle against Edwin De Los Santos to claim the WBC Lightweight Title.
Official Comp box statistics revealed a remarkable feat during the 12-round contest, as De Los Santos (16-2, 14 KOs) from the Dominican Republic could only land 40 punches. This unprecedented statistic marks the fewest punches recorded in a 12-round bout since the inception of the Compubox system 38 years ago.
Despite securing the victory, Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs) expressed dissatisfaction with his performance.
Shakur Stevenson Clinches WBC Lightweight Title in Unprecedented Bout. He said, “I had a bad performance tonight, that’s all I’m focused on. I wasn’t feeling too good. I’ll live it, it’s OK, I came here to get the victory, and that’s all I wanted to do.”
In response to questions about his left hand, which landed only 21 times during the match, Stevenson remained tight-lipped about any potential sickness or injury, stating, “I ain’t got nothing to say about that – I’m not going to make excuses. I just didn’t feel good before the fight.”
Throughout the fight, De Los Santos succeeded in keeping Stevenson on the defensive, although he struggled to capitalize on these opportunities. De Los Santos commented, “I came to fight tonight, and Shakur Stevenson decided not to fight. He was gifted the title, but I am the champion of the people.”
Shakur Stevenson, after an intensive seven-month preparation, expressed his desire for a brief hiatus, stating, “I think that he has to go back and reassess … what changes he needs to make.” Mentor and former champion Andre Ward added, “He looked a bit flat tonight. He’ll determine what that reason is. He does need rest … he’s never not in the gym. He’s an elite fighter, and for elite fighters who are used to dominating, when you don’t have a dominating performance, it can almost feel like a loss.”
“That’s what he’s working through right now. But it’s also good for him, it’s sobering. It just reminds you that the game doesn’t always love you back.”
In the wake of this historic victory and a challenging performance, Shakur Stevenson remains a dominant force in the boxing world, leaving fans eager to witness his next triumph in the ring.
