Stevens vs. Teixeira Scouting Report: Experience and Power vs. Youth and Aggressiveness
Las Vegas, Nevada: This Saturday, Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stevens (27-5, 20 KOs) returns to the ring with his one-punch knockout power to face the aggressive up-and-coming prospect Patrick Teixeira (26-0, 22 KOs) in 10 rounds of action for the vacant WBC De Las Americas Middleweight Title on the HBO Pay-Per-View portion of the Canelo vs. Khan undercard in Las Vegas on May 7. Curtis has experience and power but Patrick is a younger, more aggressive southpaw. The scouting report for this exciting match-up is below:
| Category | Curtis "The Cerebral Assassin" Stevens | Patrick Teixeira |
|---|---|---|
| Age | 31 | 25 |
| Record | 27-5 (20 KOs) | 26-0 (22 KOs) |
| Strength | Curtis is a power-puncher that can end the fight with any punch he throws. He is very experienced and has fought much better opposition than Teixeira thus far. | Teixeira has power in both hands and possesses pinpoint accuracy. He puts together good combinations and has an effective jab as well. |
| Weakness | Stevens has been inactive for over a year, so some ring rust is expected. He also has a tendency to not let his hands go, which could be costly when fighting a high-volume puncher like Teixeira. | Patrick has yet to face any top-level opposition. He also tends to throw wide, looping punches, which can lead to trouble if Stevens is able to sneak in one of his lethal left hooks. |
| Experience | He has fought the better opposition, including a win over top-ranked middleweight contender Tureano Johnson, and a hard-fought defeat against current middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin. | He will be at a disadvantage coming into this bout; he has 26 pro bouts under his belt but has yet to face any legitimate contenders. Stevens will be the biggest test of his young career. |
| Power | Curtis has knockout power in both hands; if he connects clean with any punch it can be a game-changer at any point in the fight. | Patrick has good power in his combinations, he throws vicious body shots and possesses a nasty right hook that has ended many fights for the undefeated southpaw. |
| Speed | Curtis turns it up a notch when he smells blood, he shows off his quick hands and savage combinations. | Teixeira is quick; he puts his punches together well and maintains a steady pace throughout the fight, which has proven to overwhelm his previous opposition. |
| Endurance | Stevens is a young veteran of the sport who has proven his endurance; he has gone 10 rounds on four separate occasions and 12 rounds twice. | The Brazilian has gone 10 rounds only twice in his career, but has shown no signs of any stamina issues, even with such a high punch output. |
| Accuracy | If Curtis can work his way to the inside, he may be able to utilize some accurate bodywork against his much taller opponent. | Patrick has the accuracy advantage; he has demonstrated pinpoint accuracy in his jab and uses his reach effectively in picking apart his opponents from a distance. |
| Defense | Curtis's best defense has been his offense, his opponents are usually running from him rather than running towards him. | Teixeira is a rangy fighter who utilizes his reach effectively. It will be a difficult task for any fighter to get on inside on him and do some damage. |
| Chin | Although Curtis has been stopped in his career, he has a solid chin. He has been knocked down from some big shots by some big punchers, including GGG, and has gotten back to his feet.? | Patrick's chin is still in question. He has not been in any real danger after impressively dominating his opposition thus far. |
| Style | Curtis is a no-nonsense, in-your-face power puncher who is always looking to end the night early. | Teixeira is a slick and aggressive southpaw who knows how to finish fights. He has a lengthy reach, stiff jab, and throws nasty combinations. |
| Intangibles | In the prime of his career, Stevens does not believe in tune-up fights. His past four opponents were all former or currently ranked contenders and titleholders. With over a year out of the ring, he has decided against tune-up bouts and will attempt to get his name back in the middleweight mix by taking on a young, undefeated, and dangerous knockout artist in Patrick Teixeira. A win on May 7 instantly makes Curtis a legitimate threat in the middleweight division. | The young Brazilian has chosen to take on a tough task in hopes of moving up the middleweight rankings. Rather than take on a much lesser opponent, he will instead put his undefeated record on the line on the biggest stage of them all, against a fighter in Curtis Stevens who can close the show with any punch he throws. A win over Stevens can catapult him into the top of the middleweight rankings. |
| Crowd Support | Curtis has been in the bigger fights throughout his career and has a style that is appealing to the fans, so he should have the majority of the crowd in his corner. | Teixeira's aggressive, come-forward style may earn him some fans before the night ends. |
| The Matchup | 1. Will ring rust be a problem for Stevens? | |
| 2. Will Teixeira be able to handle Stevens' power? | ||
| 3. Will Curtis be able to handle Patrick's non-stop come-forward style? | ||
| Will Teixeira be ready mentally for his toughest challenge to date? |
According to 2015 NABF Matchmaker of the Year, Jolene Mizzone, “This is the type of fight I would love to see more often: the veteran who is willing to fight anyone, any time and the up-and-coming prospect that is ready to take that step up. I love that neither of these guys know what the words ‘tune-up’ mean. Both fighters have a lot to prove and that could only be a recipe for a great fight in the ring!”
