Shakur Stevenson will be making the maiden defence of his WBO featherweight championship against experienced campaigner Miguel Marriaga this Saturday night at the Madison Square Garden Theater in Manhattan, New York City.
The southpaw captured the vacant belt in his last outing against Joet Gonzalez, registering a unanimous decision victory over his counterpart, in a fight that was largely defined by the personal acrimony between the pair before the bell.
With the win, Stevenson showcased his impressive championship-level skillset coupled with his ability to remain professional and virtually shut out Gonzalez with his defensive abilities, slick punching and razor-sharp timing.
Although the seasoned Marriaga is vastly more experienced as a professional – having been in with the likes of Nicholas Walters, Oscar Valdez and the brilliant Vasyl Lomachenko – it is noteworthy he was unsuccessful in all three ventures.
Indeed, he was comprehensively dismantled by the latter at super-featherweight in 2017 and Stevenson will therefore be keen to replicate Lomachenko’s masterful performance to send out a statement, en route to a potential unification showdown with IBF counterpart Josh Warrington in the near future.
Ultimately, therefore, we can expect another thoroughly dominant display from the Newark native, as he outfoxes and outclasses Marriaga en route to a lopsided points win.
Preview by: Navi Singh
Follow Navi on Twitter at: @DarkMan________