Flushing Meadows, USA – Undefeated Shakur Stevenson successfully defended his World Boxing Council lightweight world title on Saturday, outdueling the hard-hitting William Zepeda in a tough, back-and-forth battle at the Louis Armstrong Stadium. Despite his defensive style often drawing mixed reactions, Stevenson withstood a relentless assault from the challenger and countered with effective offense to earn a comfortable unanimous decision.
The judges’ scorecards read 118-110, 118-110, and 119-109 in favor of Stevenson, who now boasts a pristine record of 24-0 with 11 knockouts. This marks the first career defeat for Mexico’s Zepeda, whose record now stands at 33-1 with 27 stoppages. Stevenson, a former world champion at featherweight and super featherweight, had claimed the WBC lightweight belt in November 2023 against Edwin De Los Santos and was coming off a ninth-round technical knockout in February against Josh Padley.
Hamzah Sheeraz Stops Edgar Berlanga in Super Middleweight Clash
On the same card, Britain’s Hamzah Sheeraz delivered a dominant performance, stopping Puerto Rico’s Edgar Berlanga in the fifth round of their high-profile super middleweight bout. Sheeraz floored Berlanga twice in the fourth round, though Berlanga managed to rise on both occasions. However, after Sheeraz landed another combination early in the fifth, sending Berlanga to one knee, referee David Fields waved off the contest.
Sheeraz, fighting for the first time since a draw against WBC middleweight champion Carlos Adames in February, improved his impressive record to 22-0 with one drawn and 18 wins by knockout. Berlanga’s record now stands at 23-2, marking his second defeat in his last three fights, having previously lost to Canelo Alvarez in September before a win over Jonathan Gonzalez-Ortiz in March.
Subriel Matias Claims WBC Super Lightweight Title
In another championship bout, Subriel Matias of Puerto Rico endured a late surge from Alberto Puello to win Puello’s WBC super lightweight world title via a majority decision. Two judges scored the fight 115-113 for Matias, while the third had it even at 114-114. Matias initiated the fight by applying early pressure, effectively pinning Puello against the ropes with flurries of punches. Despite appearing to fade in the later rounds, Matias had enough left to secure the victory.
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