The final 2+ months of the calendar year have more highly anticipated fight weeks than you can shake a stick at. This past weekend was the first of those mentioned weeks. Shakur Stevenson removed any questions or doubts that were lingering about his power or skills from his “lackluster” performance against Jeremia Nakathila back in June by absolutely dominating and picking apart WBO Super Featherweight champion Jamel Herring of Coram, NY. Stevenson, a Newark, NJ, native handed in what was not only a career-best performance but perhaps the performance of the year by stopping Herring in the 10th round to move his record to 17-0 (9) capture his second world title in as many weight classes and capture our Fighter of the Week award.
Stevenson had faced criticism from all angels, even his own management team and promotional company. He needed something truly sublime to show that he wasn’t hype that he was actual substance. That he really is the goods. What he did last Saturday in Atlanta proved beyond any reasonable doubt that he was just that. Stevenson controlled every aspect of the fight. The 24-year old Stevenson appeared the bigger, stronger man in the ring physically and in the early going actually forced Herring backward. Herring finally got moving forward in the third round but got himself out quite and out hustled and outboxed on the inside by the incredibly sharp Jersey native. After a short-lived rally in the fifth, Stevenson regained control of the fight in the sixth, wobbling Herring and looking like he may end the fight in the sixth. Splitting the guard with precise laser-like combos Stevenson continued to punish the very game by overmatched US Marine. Another flurry along the ropes forcing again wounded Herring and caused the referee to wave off the bout at the midway mark of the 10th round giving Stevenson the victory.
Herring has fought 38 rounds over four fights since moving up to 130 pounds. He has lost a single round on just one scorecard in that time frame, that’s the fifth round to Herring, besides that the Newarker has swept every round on every card. he has won 31 rounds in a row on at least two f the three scorecards. That demonstrates the kind of dominance Stevenson has displayed. He is right now among the most dominant fighters in the sport, there aren’t two manty fighters at super feather who can really push Stevenson, WBC champ Oscar Valdez, who will likely fight the New Jersey native next, certainly will not present too much of a challenge. One man who could is WBA titleholder Chris “Prime Time” Colbert. A fight between the two fighters who fight in the same market and both have immense skills, makes all too much sense and would be one of the best fights in the sport period. Unfortunately for fight fans It will certainly not get made next nor anytime in the foreseeable future and fight fans know this. Colbert is on the PBC side of things and Stevenson is promoted by Top Rank.
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