Oscar Valdez Praises Shakur Stevenson for Aggressive Approach in Recent Win
Shakur Stevenson's former opponent, Oscar Valdez, praised his great effort to defeat Artem Harutyunyan last Saturday night at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
Former two-division world champion Valdez says he thought WBC lightweight champion Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) would knock out Harutyunyan (13-2, 7 KOs) in the sixth round when he landed well, but he couldn't. don't do it.
Stevenson was in the lead, throwing arm punches, no knees, and failing to generate significant power. That made it easier for Harutyunyan to land punches well and get out of range.
When Shakur got to him, Harutyunyan was able to counter him with combinations, putting the New Jersey native in defensive mode. Any momentum Shakur had would be lost in the short salvos Harutyunyan was throwing.
Stevenson's corner tussled with him midway through the second round, wanting him to apply more pressure, but he couldn't or wouldn't do it. It is also possible that they were asking the Tiger to change its stripes.
Shakur's style was so focused that he could relentlessly attack how he would need a KO that Harutyunyan, 33, had done for him.
Valdez's tribute to Shakur's Knockout effort
“You have to respect Shakur for trying to find a way to put him down. Who would have thought that the boy running was Harutyunyan? They thought Shakur was going to run,” said Oscar Valdez on Fight Hub TV, supporting his former champion Shakur Stevenson in his victory last Saturday against Artem Harutyunyan.
Shakur tried, but his technique wouldn't work against a seasoned Olympian like Harutyunyan, who has faced true novice punchers and gone through them without getting KO'd.
It was easy for Harutyunyan to handle Shakur's limited offensive skills. That is not Shakur's strong point in his game. He is a defensive fighter who uses a scoring style that he is still learning.
“I saw Shakur's eyes when he looked at Christina Poncher and me and he said, 'I'm going to take her out' in the sixth round. I actually thought he would get it, but there are certain fights you just can't pull off,” said Valdez.
When Shakur got some success in the sixth round, Harutyunyan got on his bike and quickly ended his charge. It was very easy. Shakur's ability to break the ring has been limited, and that's part of the irony because he's a good player when he's attacked.
Unfortunately, his ability to move forward to attack is at an unusual level, and that's one of the reasons why he won't be a perfect fighter.
“Harutyunyan is a tough fighter. Don't underestimate the boy. “Shakur may make him look easy, but he's not an easy opponent,” Valdez said. “Styles make wars, and it wasn't just Shakur who danced well. But then again, most of the time, Shakur doesn't find that good dance partner. “
Shakur didn't make it look easy against Harutyunyan. That was a tough fight where Shakur appeared to lose four rounds. He didn't dominate the way other fighters could at lightweight.
This is the fourth or fifth fight Shakur has had during his career that has not been a “good dance partner,” it seems like the only time someone is good is when they are limited people with no power, speed, or boxing ability.
“Maybe I was a good dance partner because I attacked him all the time, he beat me with his fists all night and won a clear fight. That's why it made it fun,” said Valdez.
Shakur was better than Valdez, and he was fighting him after he started showing signs of slipping. Valdez was coming off a controversial twelve-round decision win over Robson Conceicao in his previous fight on September 10, 2021, and many boxing fans felt he had lost that fight.
“That's why you have to respect Shakur so much; He tried his best to give his fans and his people a blow to the ground. He tried, but he couldn't find it. That's boxing. He got the win,” said Valdez.
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