Shakur Stevenson vs Artem Harutyunyan Preview
Shakur Stevenson is one of the most polarising boxers in the US. The three-weight champion will attempt to defend his WBC lightweight title for the first time. He’ll fight Artem Harutyunyan at the Prudential Center in Newark on July 6th.
This match-up puts Stevenson under extreme pressure to win in style. Harutyunyan is coming off a loss but finds himself with a shot at the belt. Stevenson says he’s one of the best in the world, but now he needs to prove it.
It’s an intriguing fight because Stevenson is coming off a terrible performance. A simple win isn’t enough for the New Jersey native because he needs to excite the fans. But Harutyunyan believes he can cause a major upset.
Shakur Stevenson vs Artem Harutyunyan Key Stats and Head-to-Head
Stevenson is one of the most high-profile young boxers on the planet. The 27-year-old is slowly moving toward his prime but hasn’t had the big fights the fans want. He’s a three-weight world champion and appears to have found his home in this division.
He has an undefeated 21-0 record with 10 KO wins. Stevenson was also an Olympic silver medallist in Rio De Janeiro. He has achieved a lot in his boxing career, but there’s still a feeling that he’s yet to fulfil his true potential.
One issue is that he is frustrating his fans and lacks self-awareness. Earlier this year, he pretended to retire, an immature move that rubbed people the wrong way. Meanwhile, he delivered a lacklustre performance against Edwin De Los Santos for the vacant WBC lightweight belt. This was one of the most boring fights of the year and not the way he wanted to win the strap.
Stevenson dominated this boxing match as he won 116-112 on two scorecards. But the boxers set an unwanted record for the fewest punches in a 12-round fight. Stevenson spent the entire fight moving backwards and refused to take any risks. This may be good for his longevity as a boxer, but it won’t make anyone want to watch his bouts.
Now he’s fighting the Armenian-born Harutyunyan in his first title defence. This is an odd match-up because the former Team Germany Olympian is coming off a loss. Harutyunyan’s last match was a unanimous decision defeat against Frank Martin. Incidentally, Stevenson was initially supposed to fight Martin for the vacant belt.
It’s almost a year since Harutyunyan stepped into the ring and he’s not an inspiring opponent. He has a 13-1 record with seven KO victories. He has held a cluster of international titles over the years but never the undisputed belt.
These men have contrasting styles. Stevenson is extremely slick and has a brilliant defensive shell. It’s extremely difficult to hit him because of his movement. Harutyunyan is a far more conventional fighter, but he’s capable of knocking his opponents out. Expect him to land his combinations and overwhelm Stevenson.
Most people don’t regard Stevenson as a power puncher. However, he has KO strength, as he proved against Viorel Simion in 2018. This viral knockout saw the Romanian freeze in midair before he collapsed to the canvas. It was terrifying and showed that Stevenson can cause severe damage.
Harutyunyan isn’t an ideal showcase opponent. He’s only suffered a single knockdown in his career. That came in the last round of his fight against Frank Martin. He’s a tough athlete who won’t give up. Stevenson must let his left hand go more than he did against De Los Santos.
Many critics don’t understand why Stevenson is taking this fight. However, there are a couple of reasons this makes sense. First, he will be a free agent after this event, which will put him in a position to make more money from bigger match-ups.
Artem unleashing 50 punches in 9 seconds. Can he upset Shakur Stevenson this weekend? pic.twitter.com/ZfNveKIPig
— Boxing Kingdom (@BoxingKingdom14) July 1, 2024
The second reason is simply because Harutyunyan is available. Stevenson wants to fight Gervonta Davis but ‘Tank’ is currently negotiating with Vasily Lomachenko. Frank Martin got the Davis fight after beating Harutyunyan. Stevenson hopes to follow in his footsteps, but it won’t be easy.
Harutyunyan is a tricky opponent, as he proved against Martin. ‘The Ghost’ struggled to solve his German puzzle until Round 12, when he finally dropped him. Harutyunyan even led after six rounds on all three judges’ cards. This was his first fight in the United States, but the bright lights didn’t dazzle him.
It remains to be seen if Stevenson can perform against Harutyunyan. He is fighting in front of his home fans in Newark, so there’s a responsibility to entertain and deliver what everybody believes he’s capable of. We saw him do it against Oscar Valdez in 2022.
Shakur Stevenson vs Artem Harutyunyan Prediction
Prediction: Shakur Stevenson to win by decision
Our boxing prediction is for Shakur Stevenson to defeat Artem Harutyunyan. The American is a classier fighter than his German opponent and has more skills. He had a tough year and will want to put on a showcase in front of his home fans.
Harutyunyan will likely attempt to pressure Stevenson early. However, we saw how good Stevenson’s defence was against De Los Santos. He negated the Dominican’s attacks and countered successfully. It wasn’t fun to watch, but it was effective.
We expect to see more from Stevenson this time and he may take more risks. It would be a surprise if he gets a finish. Five of Stevenson’s last seven victories came by unanimous decision. Harutyunyan is extremely tough too and has never suffered a knockout loss.
Fights with a belt on the line often go the distance. We predict Stevenson will do enough to keep a split-decision victory away from Harutyunyan, but anything can happen when we hear the bell. We don’t think the German will be able to catch the American, meaning a knockout blow is unlikely this Saturday.
If Harutyunyan lands early, he may unsettle Stevenson and build an early lead. This is what he did against Frank Martin, although the American bounced back. Keep an eye on the live betting odds because it may be worth backing Stevenson to do the same.
Shakur Stevenson vs Artem Harutyunyan Betting Tips
Betting on Shakur Stevenson is the right move, but he is the favourite to win this fight at Novibet. It is not worthwhile backing him to win outright at 1/33. A €10 stake would only win €0.30. That’s why it’s important to look at the other boxing markets.
Stevenson should win this match so it’s worth finding other ways to back him. It would be wiser to select his method of victory because this is more profitable. It’s 4/5 for him to win this fight by decision. This time, a €10 stake would make €8 if successful.
Why not enhance this bet by checking the over/under odds? If Stevenson wins by decision, it means this fight will go over 10.5 rounds. Add this bet at 3/5 to increase your earnings. It’s also 3/4 for this fight to go to a decision without selecting the winner. These bets correlate so it could be a sensible three-way wager.
Boxing betting can be chaotic when there’s an upset. It wouldn’t quite be Buster Douglas knocking out Mike Tyson, but what if Harutyunyan wins? If he shocks the world and beats Stevenson, it’s likely to be by KO. It’s 10/1 for the German to win this fight and 18/1 for him to win by KO/TKO.
The bookmakers don’t expect him to win this fight by decision because they’ve priced it at a massive 40/1. This could be the right time to use our welcome bonus on a Hail Mary. However, remember not to get carried away with this fight. Stevenson has it all to lose and can’t afford to slip up in front of his home crowd.
Maybe Stevenson will put on an exhibition in front of his Newark fanbase. It’s most likely he will secure a knockout in rounds eight or nine at 11/1. This time, a €10 bet would see returns of €120.
There are several high-profile boxing matches this weekend. Why not bet on Keyshawn Davis or Kazuto Ioka? Consider building an accumulator with all the favourites.
Shakur Stevenson vs Artem Harutyunyan Outcome
A big test must be next for Stevenson if he beats Harutyunyan. Fans won’t accept anything less from the young American. In an ideal world, he’ll fight the winner of Gervonta Davis vs Vasily Lomachenko. That match isn’t official yet, but it appears likely that they’ll face each other. Stevenson would prefer to meet Davis with their WBC and WBA titles on the line.
Another option would be a lightweight unification bout against Denys Berinchyk. The Ukrainian won the WBO title by a split decision against Emmanuel Navarette in May. However, the 36-year-old is a less appealing opponent because of his lack of name value and potential risk.
It’s almost impossible to imagine Stevenson losing this match. Harutyunyan isn’t coming to make up the numbers. He knows this is probably his last chance to win a world title, so he’s going to give it everything. A loss would crush Stevenson and it would be a long way back for him into contention.
