To hit and not get hit is the fundamental skill of boxing.  It’s a skill that is almost impossible to achieve fully.
There is a saying that if you don’t want to get wet, then don’t walk in the rain, and it very much applies to the boxing ring.

When a boxer climbs through the ropes, into the ring, they will get hit.  It’s inevitable. 

Some boxers will walk through oncoming punches to land their own, and thrill the crowd in the process.  Some boxers have mastered the skill to get hit less than others, but not thrill the crowd as much.

Not getting hit is an art.  A lay-back, a slip, a push-away.  It’s all part of the skill of boxing that is appreciated by many, but that being said, the majority of fans would rather watch Corrales vs Castillo than a Floyd Mayweather unanimous decision defensive masterclass.

Boxers that have blended the defensive art with aggression are seen as legends of the sport. A young Muhammad Ali, Sugar Rays Robinson and Leonard and Roy Jones Jr spring to mind.

In more modern times Terence Crawford, Oleksandr Usyk and Canelo Alvarez also fit the bill. Three names of which there is no argument are on the current pound for pound list.

A boxer that would like to join that esteemed company, is Newark’s Shakur Stevenson.

Stevenson is a 21-0 former Olympian who will be defending his WBC World Lightweight Title for the first time against Artem Harutyunyan on Saturday night at the Prudential Centre in Newark.

This will be Stevenson’s first outing of the year and he’ll be looking to put on a show after his last performance.

Stevenson beat Edwin De Los Santos in November 2023 by unanimous decision, but was roundly booed by the crowd at the final bell.

Stevenson later revealed that he had suffered a hand injury that hampered his performance, but the criticism stung.

‘You put a counterpunching southpaw, that can also punch, in front of me and I only had one hand.  I think the greatness was the fact that I made it work that night.’  Stevenson said in his own defence on a pre-fight Top Rank documentary.

‘Several times you can put on good performances, then you have one bad night and everyone acts like you’re not that guy.  They forgot about the Jerrell Herring performance, they forgot about me versus Oscar Valdez, they forgot about Yoshino.’

Stevenson is a defensive first fighter, who has a rapier like jab from the southpaw stance.  He is definitely from the hit and not get hit school of boxing, and is not the most aggressive.

You almost feel like he needs the right dance partner for us to see all sides of his game.

Teofimo Lopez, Devin Haney, Vasily Lomachenko and Gervonta Davis are just some of the fighters in and around the Lightweight division. A fight with anyone of those fantastic fighters, would bring out the best in Stevenson.

Beating any of them would put him firmly on the pound for pound list.

Hopefully one of the those fights can be made in the near future, but for now, Stevenson has to get past Artem Harutyunyan.

Harutyunyan (12-1) last fought against Frank Martin a year ago in a competitive fight, but lost by unanimous decision. 

‘I fought Frank Martin last year, he knows he lost the fight.’  Harutyunyan told the crowd gathered at the press conference this week.

‘I’m back in the states, and it’s a great chance for me.  I’ve had a great camp, I’m well prepared and I’m ready. People say Stevenson is boring. I want to show all of the fans that I can give him a good fight.’

‘Shakur Stevenson is a good fighter, he’s a world champion.  We both fought at the Olympic games, he’s a silver medallist, I’m a bronze medallist and now we fight for the World Championship.

‘Everyone wants to see Shakur Stevenson lose.  Many people say he’s boring, but it’s his style and it works.’

Harutyunyan mentioned the word boring more than once, and it’s definitely a perception that hasn’t been lost on Stevenson.

‘I’m gonna be myself, come out and show my talent and levels.’ Stevenson stated.

‘I’m one of the best in the sport of boxing of hit and don’t get hit.  There’s a certain way of doing that and I’m gonna show the fans that all the moving around and stuff, I don’t really have to do.  I can sit in the pocket and beat you up to.’

Stevenson is keen to add some entertainment to his unquestionable skills and he will certainly have the support of his hometown fans.

You feel that this should be a routine victory for Stevenson, before moving onto bigger and better fights in the Lightweight division.