Shakur Stevenson beats Jeremia Nakathila easily in unimpressive fashion
Former WBO Featherweight champion Shakur “Fearless” Stevenson (15-0, 8KOs) is looking to get his hands on a championship belt in the junior lightweight division. He first needs to take care of Jeremia “Low Key” Nakathila (21-1, 17KOs).
Nakathila is unknown to the boxing world. That is due to the fact he has fought primarily in his home country of Nambia. The WBO number two ranked fighter won the vacant WBO Global title by defeating Zoltan Kovacs back in April 2019. Moreover, he is on a ten-fight knockout streak dating back to his first career loss at the hands of then-undefeated Evgeny Chuprakov back in 2016. Low Key will be making his American debut fighting for the WBO interim title.
Fearless has been on a mission since entering the division. He was involved in a social media war of words with WBC champion Oscar Valdez’s manager and WBO champion Jamel Herring after mention was made of them fighting in a unification fight. Stevenson even was seen going after Herring at a gym screaming, “where my belt” at the WBO champion. Currently ranked number one by the WBO, he is determined to get his shot at a championship.
THERE ARE LEVELS TO THIS
The fight started with both fighters mostly posturing and trying to establish foot position. This is typical whenever you have an orthodox and southpaw fighting. However, Fearless was landing the most significant punches with that straight left hand down the middle and to the body of the taller opponent.
For some reason, the referee broke the action twice telling the fighters to watch their feet. In the second round, he ruled that Nakathila slipped when the replay showed it should have been a knock down from a Stevenson right hook.
Low Key was trying to get on the inside, but the defense of Fearless was keeping him off balance. Stevenson found a groove landing the straight left hand and right hook. At times, he would wait to land the counter hook.
STEVENSON NEEDS TO PRESS THE ISSUE
In the fourth round, Fearless was landing the left to the body and hit Low Key with a perfect right hook counter that sent him to the canvas. Despite beating the count to continue, Jeremia Nakathila continued to get hit with the straight left hand.
At this point of the fight, Stevenson could have ended it at any time if he was to put his foot on the gas. It was clear that every hard left hand made Nakathila’s legs wobble.
WHAT WAS THE REFEREE’S PROBLEM
Fearless, instead of being the aggressor, settled on just countering with the left hand. The most aggressive person in the fight was the referee. He continued a pointless observation of the foot positioning of each fighter before finally threatening to take a point if the fighters did not keep their feet off of each other.
In the final round, Stevenson was in complete control, landing the straight left to the body followed by a feint, then left to the head. There was a knockdown from a check left hook, but the ref scored it a slip. As the bell sounded, ending the fight, all three judges scored it a complete shut-out of 120-107 for Stevenson.
Shakur Stevenson walks away with the WBO interim title and the mandatory position for WBO champion Jamel “Semper Fi” Herring.
By: Garrisson Bland
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