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Undefeated Shakur Stevenson will make the inaugural defense of his WBC lightweight world championship against Armenian-born German Olympian Artem Harutyunyan on Saturday, July 6, at Prudential Center in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey.
Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs) has alreday won world titles in three weight classes during his glittering seven-year career. After securing a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics, he made his pro debut in 2017 and swiftly moved up the ranks.
He captured his first world title by defeating Joet Gonzalez for the WBO featherweight belt in October 2019. Two years later, he stopped Jamel Herring in 10 blistering rounds, to earn the WBO title at 130 pounds.
The 26-year-old southpaw unified world titles by handing then-WBC champion Oscar Valdez his first loss in April 2022. Stevenson then claimed two consecutive victories at Prudential Center by defeating Conceição that September and then stopping Japanese contender Shuichiro Yoshino in six last April. He then outpointed Dominican puncher Edwin De Los Santos last November to become the WBC lightweight world champion.
Harutyunyan (12-1, 7 KOs) captured an Olympic bronze medal for Germany in 2016. He started his pro career the following year, and went 12-0 in his adopted country with triumphs over Samuel Molina in September 2021 and Humberto Galindo in June 2022.
Last July, he made his U.S. debut in a competitive showdown against Frank Martin. The 33-year-old had success with his aggression and pinpoint right hand, though Martin rallied late to win a narrow unanimous decision. Harutyunyan will have his first world title shot against his second consecutive southpaw rival.
Stevenson is undergoing a rigorous training camp, aiming for a dominant performance to show that he is among the best pound-for-pound fighters of the moment.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Universum Boxing, tickets are available at Ticketmaster.com.
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