Adonis Stevenson Defeats Sakio Bika in a ZZZZZZ’s Fight
By Travis Fleming
Boxing returned to major network TV on Saturday afternoon, live on CBS from Quebec City, Canada as part of Al Haymon’s “Premiere Boxing Champions” series. The main event played out as predicted, so it was the undercard that stole the show with a fantastic, defining performance by boxing’s best prospect.
In the main event, as expected, Adonis Stevenson, 26-1, 21 KO’s easily outpointed the mismatched Sakio Bika, 32-7, 21 KO’s in defense of his light heavyweight world championship title. In previous columns on this very website, I spoke of how this fight was a mismatch due to Bika being old, losing his last fight a weight below to a non elite fighter, and never fighting an elite light heavyweight. This all proved to be true. From the opening bell, Stevenson tagged Bika with powerful straight lefts and even knocked down the iron chinned Bika twice. Bika landed a couple of looping rights out of desperation, late in the fight, but lost just about every round to the physically superior Stevenson. Stevenson hunted for the KO but couldn’t get it, which is more of a credit to Bika’s chin. Bika was his usual dirty self, throwing head butts in combination and punching on the break to make things rough. In the end it could have been a shutout but a couple of ridiculous judges found a way to give Bika four rounds on their cards. Either way, the right man got the nod in a dominating, yet unimpressive, decision.
Stevenson is very left hand reliant and only fights at long-range. If his left isn’t working, he doesn’t look elsewhere. Artur Beterbiev, 8-0, 8 KO’s, who impressed on the undercard, would likely get inside and knock out Stevenson. Unified light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev, 27-0, 24 KO’s would surely knock him out with his punching power, coupled with superior versatility. A 50 year old Bernard Hopkins, 55-7-2, 32 KO’s, must be licking his chops right now as a master of taking away a limited fighters’ best weapons. Hopkins would neutralize Stevenson’s left hand and frustrate him all night long, winning a lopsided, yet boring decision. Stevenson has massive power, decent speed, and he’s extremely athletic, but that’s where it ends. I would love to see the living legend, Hopkins, get this fight and retire as the lineal light heavyweight champion at 50 years old!
The undercard stole the show with the emergence of an elite level fighter in prospect Artur Beterbiev). Beterbiev faced former light heavyweight champion Gabriel Campillo, 25-7, 12 KO’s. At only seven pro fights, with all seven being knockout wins, Beterbiev had already KO’d former champion Tavoris Cloud. Beterbiev was an outstanding amateur who twice beat the best current professional light heavyweight in the world in Sergey Kovalev in the ams. Beterbiev wants to try it a third time in the pro ranks, and he’s made a legitimate case for himself to get a shot at Kovalev after KO’ing his second former champ in just eight fights! Beterbiev dropped Campillo with a right hand in round one and closed the show in the fourth round with a nasty, highlight reel, knockout. Beterbiev’s hands are so heavy that even partially blocked punches hurt Campillo. He also has an excellent body attack. Most impressive to me, was the infighting prowess displayed by Beterbiev. Most heavier weight fighters fight from the outside, but Beterbiev is excellent in close quarters with short hooks and uppercuts. Beterbiev employs a very stiff up-jab and has a great variety, with textbook straight punches. In the fourth round, Beterbiev came out with guns blazing, pushing Campillo to the ropes until a giant straight right, directly down the pipe, penetrated Campillo’s guard, snapped his head back and rolled his eyes into the back of his head. Campillo was out and falling to the mat when a vicious Beterbiev left hook connected, ensuring Campillo stays KO’d. The left hook, as he was already unconscious, contorted Campillo’s face and changed the direction of his fall as he slammed into the corner, bloody and and in another world. Beterbiev is now the most qualified opponent for the winner of the ling awaited super fight between Stevenson and Kovalev that has been ordered for later this year.
