Shakur Stevenson Knocks Out Shuichiro Yoshino in round 6
Undefeated former two-weight world champion Shakur Stevenson (20-0, 10 KOs) secured his shot at the WBC lightweight title with a commanding sixth-round TKO against Japanese puncher Shuichiro Yoshino (16-1, 12 KOs) Saturday night in front of a hometown crowd at Newark’s Prudential Center.
Stevenson’s arsenal was on full display tonight as he used his signature lead right hand to control range before landing his offense. Yoshino, who had questioned Stevenson’s power before the fight, was aggressive but in a way that was too predictable.
The 25-year-old picked up on this and clipped him with a short left hand, dropping him in the second round. Stevenson then was able to do anything he wanted, whether it was to pick shots on the outside or to even allow himself to be pushed on the ropes to land counter uppercuts to the body.
In the fourth round, a three-punch combo sent Yoshino to the canvas for the second time. Stevenson continued landing at will until referee Allen Huggins was forced to stop the action at 1:35 of the sixth.
Stevenson said. “He felt my power. I sat down on a couple punches and dropped him. Honestly, I wanted the ref to let it go on a little bit longer. I had just caught my second wind. I was going to put him out.
“Newark’s main name is the Bricks. And tonight, I had bricks in my hands. We did what we were supposed to do. We settled our business. And now we’re going to enjoy it with the family.
“Just tell all those other lightweights to get ready. I’m waiting for them. I can’t wait for them to finish the fights they’ve got going on, and then it’s my turn.
“Tell him [Devin Haney] to come on. I’ve been waiting for this for a long time. I swear to God. I’ve been waiting for that for a long time. Me and Devin been in the ring with each other for years. I always got the best of Devin. Tell him, ‘come on.”
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