Boxing Fans Eagerly Await Stevenson’s Clash with Harutyunyan as ‘Tank’ Davis-Lomachenko Negotiations Linger
Even as negotiations between representatives for boxing superstars Gervonta “Tank” Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko continue, undefeated three-division champion Shakur Stevenson has a chance to steal the spotlight. In his final fight under promoter Top Rank, the 27-year-old Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs) will face Armenia’s Artem Harutyunyan (12-1, 7 KOs) on Saturday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, with the bout airing on ESPN.
Former welterweight world champion Shawn Porter, now an analyst on ProBox TV’s “Deep Waters,” believes Stevenson can significantly boost calls for a showdown with Davis if he delivers an impressive performance against Harutyunyan.
“I know everyone is talking about a Lomachenko vs. ‘Tank’ Davis fight, but that fight is past its time,” Porter said, citing Lomachenko’s recent losses and age (36).
“Lomachenko is just not the fighter he was five years ago when everyone started talking about Lomachenko and ‘Tank’ fighting. And ‘Tank’ wasn’t who he was five years ago,” Porter added, suggesting that the ideal intersection of careers has arrived for the 29-year-old three-division champion Davis (30-0, 28 KOs) and Stevenson.
Fellow analyst and former 140-pound champion Chris Algieri emphasized the importance of Stevenson’s focus on the fight in front of him, noting that “it’s not about winning or losing, but how he looks.” Algieri expects Stevenson to try to stop Harutyunyan, which would be a significant statement after recent lightweight title challenger Frank Martin struggled to decisively defeat Harutyunyan.
“Artem, stylistically, can make Shakur look good, and Shakur should take that opportunity because he’s in a position right now where that end-goal of a fight with ‘Tank’ Davis is within reach,” Algieri said.
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