In what was a card deemed by many as lackluster before it began, Adonis Stevenson put his belts on the line against the unheralded, but respectable Andrzej Fonfara.
Thought to be a mismatch, it did seem that way for the beginning parts of the fight, yet Fonfara’s heart shined through as he knocked down Stevenson in the ninth round and had his stock rise through the roof while Stevenson’s seemed to fall.
In the beginning, Stevenson took control by working his jab and then as thunderous as his shots are, Stevenson knocked Fonfara down with a sneaky left through his guard.
Fonfara showed his heart early by hanging in there and withstanding the flurry of punches thrown by Stevenson.
Although it was brought up later in the fight, it did seem as if Stevenson was easily and quickly fatigued, always gasping for air right after the bell was rang.
Continuing his jab and overall punch output, Stevenson cut Fonfara early in the third round, but over time, Fonfara would produce moments where it looked like he actually belonged in the ring with the undisputed Light Heavyweight champion.
As the middle rounds continued, Stevenson would drop Fonfara again in the fifth round with a body shot and it was the work he put to Fonfara’s body that proved important very late in the fight.
Though the challenger had his moments–proving that Stevenson vulnerable to more than just kryptonite–Fonfara just could not finish the job as Stevenson took control back towards the end of the fight and went on to win a unanimous decision.
As entertaining as the fight was, Stevenson showed chinks in his “Superman” armor that has most already calling for a Bernard Hopkins fight that now seems a bit too much for Stevenson to handle.
Nnonetheless, Stevenson is still the lineal champion, at least for one more fight.
All photos by Stephanie Trapp/Showtime
