Fast Results from Reno: Shakur Stevenson Wins in a Cakewalk

Results From Reno: Stevenson Victorious Over Gonzalez

Shakur Stevenson borrowed a leaf from the notebooks of Willie Pep and Pernell Whitaker tonight, breezing to a lopsided 12-round decision over flummoxed Joet Gonzalez whose guns shot only blanks. In the process, Stevenson advanced his ledger to 13-0 and captured the WBO world featherweight title vacated by Oscar Valdez.

It was a tour-de-force for the 22-year-old southpaw from Newark, New Jersey, but also a monotonous fight that was mindful of Larry Holmes’ 15-round whitewash of Randall “Tex” Cobb. Actually, Stevenson did let Gonzalez win a round — the seventh — but he was merely taking a little nap. In suffering his first defeat, Gonzalez (23-1) was outclassed by a boxer whose defense is far advanced for his age.

Other Bouts

Chicago bantamweight Joshua Greer (22-1-1, 12 KOs) has won 19 straight, but is living on the edge as his last two wins, including tonight’s 10-round unanimous decision over Cleveland’s Antonio Nieves, did not meet with the approval of the crowd. In round 8, Greer scored an apparent knockdown over Nieves, but Nieves (19-3-2) had just been hit with a low blow and referee Robert Byrd waived it off, allowing Nieves time to recover. In the final round, Nieves knocked Greer down with a cuffing blow to the back of the head which was ruled a knockdown. The final scores were 96-93 and 95-94 twice.

In a lightweight match shortened from 10 to 8 rounds (in hindsight a smart idea) Toledo’s Albert Bell (16-0, 5 KOs), “pitched a shutout” over Frankie De Alba, winning all eight rounds on all three cards. The fight was a snoozer.

Las Vegas lightweight Francisco Esparza Jr (10-1-1) had a tougher time than expected with Matt Conway who came in undefeated (17-0) but had been plying his trade in the fallow fields of West Virginia. Esparza knocked Conway to the canvas with a left hook in the opening round and rocked him again in the third, but the teak-tough Conway wouldn’t go quietly. In the end, Esparza prevailed by the narrowest of margins, winning a split decision.

San Jose lightweight Andy Vences (23-1-1, 12 KOs) rebounded from the first loss of his career with a workmanlike 8-round unanimous decision over Mark Bernaldez. The scores were 79-73 across the board, Bernaldez, a Filipino, slipped to 19-3.

In a battle of former world title challengers, Albuquerque featherweight Jason Sanchez (15-1, 8 KOs) caved in Brazil’s Adeilson Dos Santos with a pair of fourth-round body shots. Dos Santos (19-7) got up from the first but not the second.

Two of Top Rank’s newest signees won their pro debuts in predictably easy fashion, scoring first-round stoppages.

Puerto Rico-born welterweight Xander Zayas, who turned 17 just last month, knocked Denver’s Genesis Wynn down twice before the ref waived it off. It was all over in 84 seconds. Toledo’s Jared Anderson took career of business even quicker, dismissing no-hoper Daniel Infante in 54 seconds. It was somewhat disconcerting that the six-foot-four. 19-year-old Anderson tipped the scales at 233 after fighting at 201 just a few months ago.

Las Vegas lightweight Francisco Esparza Jr (10-1-1) had a tougher time than expected with Matt Conway who came in undefeated (17-0) but had been plying his trade in the fallow fields of West Virginia. Esparza knocked Conway to the canvas with a left hook in the opening round and rocked him again in the third, but the teak-tough Conway wouldn’t go quietly. In the end, Esparza prevailed by the narrowest of margins, winning a split decision.

Also, junior lightweight Mikaela Mayer (11-0, 5 KOs) thoroughly outclassed Argentina’s Alejandra Zamora (7-4) in a bout that was stopped after the sixth round by Zamora’s corner. Mayer had Zamora on the deck and badly hurt in the opening stanza but let her off the hook and the fight continued longer than it should have.

Photo credit: Mikey Williams for Top Rank

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