Results: Shakur Stevenson Dominates Yoshino

By Top Rank - 04/07/2023 - Comments

Stevenson-Yoshino, Jared Anderson-George Arias & Keyshawn Davis-Anthony Yigit will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT.

The King of Brick City is ready to shine again in front of a packed hometown crowd. Undefeated former two-weight world champion Shakur Stevenson (19-0, 9 KOs) will take on Japanese puncher Shuichiro Yoshino (16-0, 12 KOs) in a 12-round WBC lightweight title eliminator this Saturday at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.

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WHAT TIME IS THE SHAKUR STEVENSON VS. YOSHINO FIGHT?

  • Date: Saturday, April 8
  • Start time:  8:00 p.m. ET / 1 a.m. BST
  • Main event ringwalks (approx): 11:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 a.m. BST
  • Viewers in the U.S. can watch the fight live on ESPN
  • The fight will take place at the Prudential Center in New Jersey, America.
  • The main card is set to get underway at 8:00 p.m. ET / 1 a.m. BST with the main event ringwalks scheduled for 11:00 p.m. ET / 4:00 a.m. BST.

Stevenson (19-0, 9 KOs), a former featherweight and junior lightweight world champion, returns to his hometown following last September’s triumph against Robson Conceição. The stubborn Conceição lasted the distance, but Stevenson dominated in front of 10,107 fans at Prudential Center. Stevenson won the WBO junior lightweight title with a 10th-round knockout over Jamel Herring in October 2021, then unified the division with a stirring 12-round display over WBC king Oscar Valdez the following April. Those victories propelled Stevenson, a 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist, to the top 10 of most pound-for-pound lists. He now sets his sights on a third weight class and a spot atop the pound-for-pound throne.

Yoshino (16-0, 12 KOs), the WBC’s No. 5 contender, is a former Japanese lightweight champion who compiled a 104-20 amateur record. After seven defenses of his Japanese title, Yoshino rose in the rankings following a banner 2022. Last April, he won a bloody technical decision over former world champion Masayuki Ito after Ito suffered a cut over his left eye. He followed up the Ito triumph in November with a sixth-round stoppage over Masayoshi Nakatani, best known to fans for his stands against Teófimo López and Vasiliy Lomachenko. Yoshino has never fought away from Japan and hopes to spoil Stevenson’s homecoming.

The 10-round co-feature will be a heavyweight clash between Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson and unbeaten George Arias.

Anderson (13-0, 13 KOs), a 23-year-old from Toledo, Ohio, has notched five consecutive second-round stoppages, including a demolition of the normally durable Jerry Forrest last December. Anderson received international headlines for his work as Tyson Fury’s chief sparring partner, but he’s now forging his own path as boxing’s most decorated young heavyweight.

Arias (18-0, 7 KOs), from the Dominican Republic, began his pro career in 2014 and has toppled seven unbeaten fighters in his ascension to contender status. Arias continued that trend in his previous two fights, defeating Cassius Chaney and Alante Green by split decision.

The lightweight opener will be a ten-round clash between U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis and former Swedish Olympian and world title challenger Anthony Yigit.

In his most recent outing, Davis (7-0, 5 KOs), the 23-year-old standout from Norfolk, VA, dominated former world title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos. Yigit (26-2-1, 10 KOs), the 31-year-old Swedish contender, represented his homeland at the 2012 Olympics, and as a lightweight has knocked out his last two opponents.

At Thursday’s press conference, this is what the fighters had to say.

Shakur Stevenson 

“It feels great to be back home. It feels great to be back in front of my fans and family. I’m enjoying myself, and I just can’t wait for Saturday. I’m really excited for Saturday. But is he ready for Saturday? That’s the real question. He walks around here with a smile, and I can’t wait to wipe that smile off his face.”

“This dude been running around here saying that I don’t have any power. He’s been saying that he’s going to push me mentally. Let’s see if he’s ready to go to deep waters with me. I’m going to drown him.”

“You’re going to see everything in the arsenal. I’m going to go out there and box him. I’m going to beat him up. He’s going to leave that ring knowing that I’m the best fighter he’s ever been in the ring with.”

Shuichiro Yoshino

“I’m really pumped up for the fight. I’m really excited.”

“I’m excited to fight for the WBC title. This opportunity is really going to change my place in boxing.”

“My trainer and I have been studying Shakur. We have a game plan to implement on Saturday.”

Jared Anderson

“I’m beyond focused. I’m more than ready for this fight. I’m ready to handle business and come out impressively. It’s a fight against an undefeated fighter. And we’re looking forward to being impressive.”

“I let things play out in the ring. Jerry Forrest kind of picked the ending to our last fight. I came in, and I felt too relaxed. That’s how he landed those two big shots. So, he decided the fate of that fight. Hopefully, Arias decides to let us get a couple of rounds in.”

George Arias

“On paper, he is the toughest fighter I’ve faced because it seems like he’s the new face of the heavyweight division. As for me, I see it as a sport. I got to do what I can to win. It’s boxing. You do what you have to do to win. It’s just another fight to me.”

“I’ve come back from a layoff before. I did the best I could to be ready. I have no excuses. I trained to the best of my ability. I sparred with great fighters. I did everything I could. For me, it’s like if I fought a few months ago.”

Keyshawn Davis

“I know Yigit is definitely coming to fight. He is an experienced fighter. I really think he’s going to test me in ways that nobody has tested me before. He’s a southpaw. And he’s a fighter. He likes to fight. And I love that. I like to fight, too. This Saturday is going to be action-packed. The tougher man is going to win.”

Anthony Yigit

“I’m very happy to be here. I’m very thankful for this opportunity. I’m happy to be able to showcase my skills. I’ve been training my whole life. I had some bumps along the road. But, hey, who said following your dreams is easy? But we’re still doing it. And I’m here. This is my time.”

Damian Knyba

“It’s an honor for me. It’s a huge step forward. The beginning was tough. I never had guaranteed fights. We had to scramble to get fights and experience. But I’m here now. I’m ready to take advantage of this opportunity. I’m excited to see the huge leaps forward that my career will take.”

Bruce Carrington

“Every single time I fight, I try to display art. It’s not just about knockouts. I want people to see that everything is strictly business. I’m Picasso in the ring. The ring is my canvas, and I’m painting the canvas. I just want everybody to learn and be more educated every single time I fight.”

The undercard will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+.

ESPN’s Joe Tessitore will call the action with Hall of Famer Timothy Bradley, Jr. as analyst; Mark Kriegel and Bernardo Osuna will serve as reporters.

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STEVENSON YOSHINO FULL FIGHT CARD

  • Shakur Stevenson vs. Shuichiro Yoshino; Lightweight
  • Keyshawn Davis vs. Anthony Yigit; Lightweight
  • Jared Anderson vs. George Arias; Heavyweight
  • Troy Isley vs. Roy Barringer; Super-welterweight
  • Damian Knyba vs. Curtis Harper; Heavyweight
  • Bruce Carrington vs. Brandon Chambers; Featherweight
  • Kelvin Davis vs. Nelson Morale; Super-lightweight
  • Antoine Cobb vs. Jaylan Phillips; Super-lightweight