While the Boxingverse was abuzz with talk about Shakur Stevenson’s subdued performance against Artem Harutyunyan, a stark contrast was about to unfold.
Though Stevenson racked up another win, it was classified as “boring” by hardcore boxing and casual fans.
With Stevenson being the clear favorite in most of his fights, there’s a growing demand for him to select a high-profile opponent. This move could significantly enhance the entertainment value of his fights, a factor lacking in his recent performances.
There wasn’t a lack of entertainment in Jaron “Boots” Ennis’ fight last Saturday.
Ennis (32-0, 28 KOs) fought aggressively against David Avanesyan from the opening bell. Ennis’ bodywork was a thing of beauty as he broke down Avanesyan and earned a fifth-round TKO win.
By being the aggressor, Ennis opened himself up to being hit. Avanesyan’s best moments in the fight came in the first half of the fifth round before Ennis floored him with a counterpunch.
Luckily for boxing fans, Ennis’ performance has taken Stevenson’s performance off the front page.
Stevenson lacks Ennis’ power, so he has to be more strategic. He could also slow down more of his power punches, but he chooses not to.
In another era, Stevenson would have been regarded as a student of the sweet science, and his style would have been more appreciated, but this is 2024, and boxing fans are mostly less sophisticated.
This doesn’t mean that Stevenson should fight like Marvin Hagler or Tommy Hearns; it just means he has to schedule more high-level opponents than Ennis does. Boxing politics are the worst, but Stevenson’s ultimate opponent would be Tank Davis.
As for Ennis, it’s obvious that he would love to fight Terence Crawford or Errol Spence Jr. next, but a more realistic opponent might be Vergil Ortiz.
Ortiz’ (21-0) next opponent Serhii Bohachuk on August 10th.
