By: Sean Crose
Invincible jockey Shakur Stevenson is headlined a pretty stellar main event on ESPN tonight as he places his WBO lightweight belt in front of fellow WBC lightweight and runner-up. Oscar Valdez’ (who has his own championship belt will also be on the ropes). It was mentioned that it would be nice to see a match of this caliber not get paid per view in order to get as much of the hard earned money from fighting fans as possible. And, in fact, it’s very good. Valdez-Stevenson is exactly what it is being presented with – a high-quality and relevant combination between two leading operators that struggle with it on basic cable.
The scheduled twelfth round will take place at the MGM Grand in Vegas this evening. ESPN will air the Top Rated card starting at 10 p.m. Eastern. Shakur, who won the silver medal representing the United States at the 2016 Olympics, has grown tremendously in recent years. There was no doubt about this man’s skill set. His most recent ring performance, against the famous Jamel Herring in October, ended with a 10th round stop and Shakur took possession of the WBO lightweight belt. Now 17-0, the New Jersey native has become one of the more prominent names in the sport.
As for Valdez, the 35-year-old Mexican has proven opponents wrong and is currently enjoying resounding success without a single blemish on his 30-0 resume. This is a man who knows how to fight and who has beaten his celebrities, such as Scott Quigg and Miguel Berchelt, whom he knocked out in 10 rounds back in February 2021. back in September. He’s nothing if not a worthy foe for 24-year-old Stevenson – and people shouldn’t be shocked when Valdez takes the win tonight.
Keyshawn Davis 4-0 will also appear on the card tonight. The 24-year-old Virginian will face Esteban Sanchez 18-1 in a scheduled 8th round tie. Davis was last seen in action last December when he stopped Jose Zaragoza in two. The 23-year-old Sanchez was last seen in the ring in October when he was assertive Sergio Osuna. Muhammad Ali’s grandson Nico Ali Walsh 4-0 will also appear on Saturday’s card, facing Alejandro Ibarra 7-1 in a scheduled 4-round middleweight tie. Walsh’s final match was Jeremiah Yeager’s second-round matchup in January. Ibarra was last spotted deciding Tyler Pogline in early 2021.
