Shakur Stevenson vs. Artem Harutyunyan: Picking the winners

It should come as no surprise that most Shakur Stevenson vs. Artem Harutyunyan predictions favor the former to win tomorrow. The two lightweights will clash over Stevenson's newly-minted WBC lightweight championship. However, are those predictions accurate?

What about the other fights featured on the card? O'Shaquie Foster defends his WBC super featherweight belt against Robson Conceição, while welterweight prospect Keyshawn Davis puts his undefeated 10-0 record on the line against experienced knockout artist Miguel Madueno.

With a variety of matchups this Saturday, boxing fans will be more than entertained. But, who will emerge victorious, and who will leave the arena with their heads hung low?

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WBC Lightweight title: Shakur Stevenson vs. Artem Harutyunyan

Most descriptions of Shakur Stevenson as a boxer highlight his technical skill and defensive chops. The WBC lightweight champion is rarely hit, which has drawn comparisons to the great Floyd Mayweather Jr., who recently hailed the former as the most skilled fighter at 135 pounds. But, is there any truth to that?

Stevenson is defined by his quickness, footwork, and jab. His linear movement is exceptional, which he owes to masterful distance management, as he wastes no time taking subtle backsteps in response to his opponent's approach. If his foe closes the distance, he falls back on his speed to hop backward.

He is not, however, perfect. His tendency to move back in a straight line means he can sometimes find himself with his back against the ropes. Stevenson's saving grace is that he has quick reflexes and fast feet. Despite his fixation on linear movement, he still has lateral movement.

When he senses that he is being boxed into a corner, he flattens out his stance and shuffles from side to side to circle back into open space. This is helped by his speed and eye for openings. Unfortunately, he still commits the mistake of crossing his feet on occasion, weakening his footing at pivotal moments.

Stevenson also lacks the head movement expected of a defensive wizard. Instead, he succeeds by maintaining his range, as few fighters have quick enough footwork to close the distance on him without taking additional forward steps that telegraph their intent, allowing him to snipe them with his jab.

When forced into a tight space, he'll cease all defensive movement and duck under his opponent to secure underhooks in the clinch, smothering them, much like Devin Haney, another defensive boxer. His jab is sharp, and serves as a setup for many of his counterpunches.

Once an opponent is frustrated enough to lash out and swung, Stevenson stuns them with a left hook off the counter. Unfortunately, most of his weapons and effectiveness will be difficult to implement against Artem Harutyunyan, though not due to skill. Instead, it is a matter of style.

Harutyunyan is not an offensively-minded fighter. He relies on a slow-paced, defensive approach that can slow down the action. Stevenson is a counterpuncher, and won't have much in the way of counters against an opponent who is also defensive.

However, Harutyunyan's style often means he cedes space and control to fighters he can't close the distance on. He is especially susceptible to being on the end of a mobile foe's jab, which was the case in his unanimous decision loss to Frank Martin, another southpaw like his upcoming foe.

Unless Harutyunyan commits to body shots and more offense than usual, his chances of winning are dramatically low. It won't be pretty, but Stevenson should style on him and continue working toward a future clash with heavy-handed lightweight star, Gervonta Davis.

The Prediction: Shakur Stevenson via unanimous decision

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WBC super featherweight title: O'Shaquie Foster vs. Robson Conceição

O'Shaquie Foster is set to defend his WBC super featherweight title against a game Robson Conceição. The matchup is likely to dazzle fans in search of guaranteed entertainment, as Foster is tough, willing to fight anyone, and an active champion.

Meanwhile, the Brazilian faced the event headliner, Shakur Stevenson, fairly recently, taking him to a close fight marred by low blows from the latter. While both Foster and Conceição are hard-nosed fighters at heart, Foster seems to be more powerful, and holds a slight edge on experience against top opponents.

However, it is worth noting that Foster has had closer fights as of late, escaping by the skin of his teeth. Nevertheless, he should still win via split-decision, although an upset isn't outside the realm of possibility.

The Prediction: O'Shaqui Foster via split-decision

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The rest of the Shakur Stevenson vs. Artem Harutyunyan card

Picks are in bold.

Welterweight: Keyshawn Davis vs. Miguel Madueno

Lightweight: Abdullah Mason vs. Luis Lebron

Welterweight: Kelvin Davis vs. Kevin Johnson

Lightweight: William Foster III vs. Eridson Garcia

Heavyweight: Ali Feliz vs. Robinson Perez

Featherweight: Keith Colon vs. Hunter Turbyfill