Studio Universal Los Angeles Avis 2024-07-06 Studio Universal Los Angeles Avis - Last update images today Studio Universal Los Angeles Avis Canada Out To Continue Surprising Copa Run Against Venezuela Shakur Stevenson returns to the ring on Saturday to defend his WBC lightweight title against Artem Harutyunyan. The fight at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey (ESPN/ESPN+, 8:30 p.m. ET, with prelims on ESPN+ at 6:10 p.m. ET), will be the main event of a Top Rank Boxing card that includes a junior lightweight title fight between WBC champion O'Shaquie Foster and perennial title contender Robson Conceicao. Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs) is a former featherweight and junior lightweight champion. He also won silver at the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics representing the U.S. After winning the WBO junior lightweight title with a 10th-round TKO victory over Jamel Herring in October 2021, Stevenson added the WBC belt with a unanimous-decision win over Oscar Valdez in April 2022. But Stevenson lost the belts on the scales when he couldn't make weight for a title defense against Conceicao in September 2022. He then moved to the 135-pound division and scored a sixth-round TKO victory over Shuichiro Yoshino in April. In November 2023, Stevenson defeated Edwin De Los Santos by unanimous decision (116-112, 115-113 and 116-112) to win the then vacant WBC lightweight title in a forgettable fight that broke CompuBox's 38 year record for fewer punches landed in a 12-round fight. De Los Santos landed just 40 total punches and just 14 power punches. Stevenson didn't do much better, landing only 65 total punches, 19 power punches. Regardless, Stevenson is back fighting at home. "It feels good to be going back home to Newark, where they appreciate a young legend, and to make my first title defense at 135," Stevenson said after the fight was officially announced on May 7. Harutyunyan (12-1, 7 KOs), of Yerevan, Armenia, (but based in Hamburg, Germany) has never fought for a world title. In his first fight outside Germany, he suffered the only defeat of his career, a unanimous decision to Frank Martin last July in Las Vegas. "I respect Shakur Stevenson as a champion, but I'm coming to shock his hometown fans and win the WBC lightweight championship," Harutyunyan said. "This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I will take full advantage of it." Let's take a look at the title fight by the numbers. Information from ESPN Stats & Information and CompuBox were used in this report. 1. Stevenson is making the first defense of his WBC lightweight title he won against De Los Santos in July 2023. 3. This is Stevenson's third fight at lightweight. He made his debut in the division against Yoshino in April. 13. Unlucky number 13 for Harutyunyan, who after winning his first 12 professional fights, lost a unanimous decision to Martin, his first career loss. 7. Stevenson is the youngest fighter to win a title in a third division since Naoya Inoue accomplished that feat in 2019. Stevenson is also just the seventh fighter to do so all-time. 1. Harutyunyan seeks to become the first German fighter to win a major lightweight world title. Marco Rudolph lost an eighth-round TKO to Artur Grigorian 1998 challenging for the WBO belt. 6. Stevenson is the sixth fighter to be a three-division champion while also winning an Olympic medal. The other five fighters on that list (Sugar Ray Leonard, Pernell Whitaker, Roy Jones Jr., Oscar De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather) have been all inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Stevenson is also the sixth fighter to win titles at 126, 130, and 135 pounds. He's the youngest in that group to achieve the feat. 46.83. Stevenson lands 46.83% of his power punches, the third-most according to CompuBox. He also has the lowest opponent connect percentage (16.7%) in all boxing, according to CompuBox. In their own words -- from Wednesday's news conference Harutyunyan about this opportunity: "I was born in Armenia, and I grew up in Germany. I've come all the way here to fight Shakur Stevenson in his hometown. It's a big opportunity for me. I will do my best and give a great fight." Harutyunyan on his last fight in the U.S.: "I came to Las Vegas last year. I was fighting Frank Martin. It was a great fight. I know Frank Martin knows he lost the fight. I told everybody that I would be back in the States. And now it's happened. I'm back here." Harutyunyan about his preparation for the fight: "It's a great opportunity. I had a great training camp, and I'm well prepared. I'm ready for this fight. I know Shakur Stevenson is a good fighter. He is a world champion. We both fought at the Olympic games. He is a silver medalist, and I'm a bronze medalist. Now we're fighting for the world championship." Stevenson on Harutyunyan's praise during the news conference on Wednesday: "You're trying to act real humble and butter me up and act like you're not really coming here to win. No, you're coming here to win, bro. I already know. He doesn't sound as confident as I thought he would sound. Hopefully, he's coming to fight." Stevenson on his approach to the fight: "I'm going to take him to a level he's never been on. I'm just going to be myself. I'm going to come out and show my talent and show my levels. I think I'm one of the best in the sport of boxing at hit and don't get hit. There's a certain way of doing that, and I want to show the fans that all that moving around is something I don't really have to do. I can sit in the pocket and beat you up, too." 57124149 9b01 4768 8c0f 8a195ec181bb Universal Ticket Booth Los Angeles Universal Studio Universal Studios Hollywood Sphere KMD12CityWalkLA 0009lg 5857632a5f9b586e02c24fb3 Ac63b484a51647ee9049b51a912c85d9 Universal Studios Globe 0 4 Visite Universal Studios Los Angeles 5640 Universal Studios Hollywood Hero1 King Kong Ride Universal Studios Hollywood Los Angeles California Mapa Do Universal Studios Em Los Angeles Min 3000x1947 Los Angeles Universal Studios 09bdd01de9ff0c8f1b67fa8241a7b77f Universal Studios Layoffs E1602685742896 ?quality=90&strip=all Visit The Universal Studios 1024x538 30010984143 9c21a84526 O Cropped Universal Studio Los Angeles2 DSC02919 C R USHmap Visite Conseil Universal Studio Los Angeles ?fit=1920%2C1080&ssl=1 285px Universal Archway 2019 89044f7075f1c7f9672fc4555897d636 USHmap Los Angeles Universal Studios 045.JPG The Simpsons Universal Studios Hollywood Universal Studios Hollywood Universal Studios Hollywood 261 ?q=80&p=1280|700|max&s=176792e294fec2e2379474b6d2ad85af Wizarding World Harry Potter Universal Studios Hollywood Universal Studio Hollywood Universal Studios Los Angeles 04 Universal Studios Sign At Universal Studios Hollywood 148901790 5ab7ffaaa474be0019c7bd73 Los Angeles Usa Sep Universal Studios Hollywood Park Map Pictures Company Was Created June 105824022 7B455A5F 195E 45AE AA17 DAF5BFA969B5