Boxing News Boxing News
WBC Light Heavy Champion Adonis Stevenson had a more difficult than expected defense against unheralded challenger Andrzej Fonfara last night at Montreal’s Bell Centre.
The much taller Fonfara pressured the southpaw champ from the start, using a long jab and right hands that troubled the Canadian until the big-punching Stevenson rammed a left through Fonfara’s guard and the Pole crumpled to the canvas in the first round.
Stevenson did his best to finish the job and managed to nail Fonfara flush with additional lefts but the challenger refused to buckle.
By the second frame, Fonfara started to get the timing of Stevenson’s lefts, block most of them that came his way so the local man started targeting the visitor’s midsection.
Fonfara kept coming forward with Stevenson continuing to work downstairs, culminating in a fifth round body shot knockdown of the challenger.
Undaunted, Fonfara kept up the pressure and struck gold in the ninth when a left hook, right hand combination to the chin floored Stevenson. Th champion managed to get through the rest of the round.
From that point onward, Stevenson no longer gave ground but rather stood and fought Fonfara from close quarters, which produced many good exchanges.
The 12th round saw both fighters give their all but Fonfara’s later round successes weren’t enough to erase the early lead of Stevenson, who swept the cards on scores of 116-109, 115-110, 115-110.
Stevenson improves to 24-1 (20), making a third successful defense while Fonfara falls to 25-3 (15), losing his first world title contest.
Next up for Stevenson could be a unification clash with IBF/WBA Super champion Bernard Hopkins or WBO champion Sergey Kovalev.
In the chief support contest from the Bell Center, local slugger David Lemieux, 32-2 (30), finally got a win over a name opponent as the middleweight KO’d Fernando Guerrero, 26-3 (19), at 1:56 of the third round for the vacant NABF title.
Light middle contender Jermell Charlo, 24-0 (11), came off the canvas to post a 118-109, 118-109, 115-111 UD over Charlie Ota, 24-2 (16).
