Shakur Stevenson has the chance to become a three-weight world champion and cement his place in the elite of the sport when he takes on Edwin de los Santos for the vacant WBC lightweight world title at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
It would be a remarkable achievement for Sugar to add the 135lbs world title, to featherweight and super-featherweight straps, at the age of 26, and the New Jersey fighter looks to have a strong chance of completing the job in Vegas.
- Shakur Stevenson to win by stoppage
- Shakur Stevenson to win in rounds 4-6
Superb Stevenson To Outclassed Rival
Stevenson is an unbeaten, former two-time world champion and an elite-level boxer.
The 26-year-old has looked unstoppable in high-class performances and victories over Shuichiro Yoshino, Robson Conceicao, Oscar Valdez, Jamel Herring and Jeremia Nakathila.
Valdez is a former two-weight world champion, Herring held the WBO junior lightweight world title, Conceicao is a one time Olympic gold medalist, who takes on Emanuel Navarrete for the WBO world super-featherweight crown on the same card, and all of those challengers were dismissed.
The New Jersey man made his debut at 135lbs when taking on Yoshino in April and the sixth-round knockout victory suggests that Stevenson will carry plenty of power in the lightweight division.
Sugar has seen ten of his 20 professional victories come by stoppage, and while the 26-year-old doesn’t boast extreme one-punch power, the American looks to hold a huge class edge in Vegas.
De los Santos is a heavy-hitting lightweight, but his record is paper thin compared to that of Stevenson.
Victories over Jose Valenzuela and Joseph Adorno looked like good efforts at the time, but all three of those fighters have gone on to suffer further defeats and there is also a defeat to William Foster on the Dominican’s record.
It’s mainly low-key bouts outside of those contests for the 24-year-old and De los Santos is likely to be exposed in Vegas. Stevenson is 3/1 to win by stoppage and that looks a generous offer.
Sugar Can Land Sweet Bet
It could also pay to take a chance on Stevenson winning this fight early and in rounds 4-6.
Everything on De los Santos’ record suggests that the Dominican will be outclassed in Vegas, but he is an aggressive, come-forward and ambitious fighter and that could leave gaps for the slick and skillful Stevenson.
The Dominican has the belief and aggression that comes at 24 years of age, but he lacks the experience and the ability to nullify Sugar.
STEVENSON TO WIN IN ROUNDS 4-6
