Oleksandr Gvozdyk defeated Adonis Stevenson via KO in the 11th round to become the WBC Light Heavyweight champion Saturday night in Quebec.
Gvozdyk dominated the fight from Round 1, setting the pace and never letting Stevenson get comfortable.
The early rounds of the fight were slow, and feeling out rounds for both fighters. Each fighter respected the others power, and this was telling as they weren’t taking any chances.
The referee missed a clear knockdown immediately after the opening bell in the third round. Gvozdyk landed a quick, short straight right hand that floored Stevenson, the ref waved it off and ruled it as a slip.
Gvozdyk had a solid fifth round that set the tone for the rest of the fight.
Stevenson was lethargic the entire fight, and didn’t seem to want to be in the ring. He sat back the entire night trying to counterpunch the aggressive Gvozdyk.
Stevenson had a very strong 10th round, nearly knocking down Gvozdyk, but the ropes helped keep Gvozdyk on his feet.
The Gvozdyk straight right hand landed at will in the 11th round and spelled the beginning of the end. His combination punching hurt and dropped Stevenson.
Stevenson was out on his feet before slumping into the corner and on the ropes.
New champ here. Oleksandr Gvozdyk KOs @AdonisSuperman in the 11th. #StevensonGvozdyk pic.twitter.com/kOIgJpWYZf
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) December 2, 2018
Stevenson couldn’t figure out Gvozdyk’s attack or defense, ultimately never finding a rhythm for his own offense. Stevenson struggled the entire night, and looks like a fighter headed for retirement.
Oleksandr Gvozdyk is now the new Light Heavyweight WBC champion of the world. There are a lot of new and fresh faces in the Light Heavyweight division.
Add Gvozdyk to the list, and the possible matchups are endless and exciting.
