Adonis Stevenson (28-1, 23 KO) defended his WBC and lineal Light heavyweight title against Thomas Williams Jr. (20-2, 14 KO) by way of a ferocious Round 4 knockout in the PBC‘s latest Spike TV installment.
There is something about fighting on the network that brings the best out of fighters.
The two scrapped well in the second and third rounds. The opening frame was a tame affair until Stevenson decked Williams with a classic one-two. Except there’s nothing typical when it comes to Stevenson’s shotgun of a left hand.
Stevenson, 38, lifted the lineal 175-pound title from Chad Dawson in 2013 after just 76 seconds with the same punch.
Williams, coming off a devastating KO victory of his own over Edwin Rodriguez in February, was hungry for the crown. He picked himself up and into Round 2.
The Maryland native repeatedly found success dipping to his left and stuffing southpaw uppercuts into Stevenson’s chin, nearly leaving the defending champion on skates towards the end of the second.
Stevenson, though, returned fire like only he can, uncorking murderous left hands in the next round.
Not too long into the fateful fourth, Williams was backed into the ropes. He tried folding his hips over for another uppercut but was blinded by a light straight and buzzed across the chin by a short, brutal left hand from Stevenson. The brave challenger tumbled over face first to the canvas.
The win marks Stevenson’s seventh-consecutive title defense. His next challenger seems to be Eleider Alvarez, his WBC mandatory, who pulled out a unanimous-decision verdict earlier in the night over the short-notice, Robert Berridge.
That should prove to be a fine matchup. Stevenson may not be “the best light heavyweight in the world” like PBC commentator Antonio Tarver claimed—the only thing funnier than that is this bout was actually a pay-per-view in Canada—but his unreal power and, considering he’s turning 39 next month, increasing vulnerability make him exciting television.
Adonis Stevenson stops Thomas Williams in Round 4. #Boxing #PBConSpike pic.twitter.com/7JusrPfsJh
— RoundByRoundBoxing (@RBRBoxing) July 30, 2016
All photos by Mathieu Belanger
