Given a grandstand session to welcome broadcast boxing back to the United States, unbeaten Shakur Stevenson made a point to put on an act. Stevenson (14-0, 8 KOs), the WBO featherweight champion, climbed to 130 pounds to stop substantial dark horse Felix Carballo by means of 6th round TKO in a non-title headliner of a Top Rank card from Las Vegas. The five-battle show occurred inside a void MGM Grand Convention Center as a precautionary measure during the coronavirus pandemic.
A 2016 Olympic bronze medalist, Stevenson satisfied his charging as one of boxing's rising stars who attracts correlations with a youthful Floyd Mayweather. The 22-year-old southpaw overwhelmed the 33-year-old Caraballo (13-2-2, 9 KOs) from beginning to end, scoring knockdowns through body shot in the first round and a second in Round 6 by means of left uppercut ground floor which constrained arbitrator Tony Weeks to wave the fend off at 1:31 without a tally.
"He opened up wide and I got him between his punch, captured him directly in the center of the shot," Stevenson said. "I came here to get him out of there. I hit him with all that I could early. I wobbled him a lot of times. He took a ton of discipline and I began pondering whether the head shots weren't going to get him out of there so I began setting off to the body."
Stevenson was initially planned to shield his 126-pound title against Miguel Marriagua at New York's Madison Square Garden in March, yet the battle was canceled one day earlier similarly as the COVID-19 isolate came to fruition. In spite of the fact that he was coordinated a lot gentler on Tuesday following an uncommon preparing camp given the conditions, Stevenson was close to consummate put something aside for harming his left submit Round 5 - a similar hand he completed Caraballo with one round later.
"It's an alternate climate. Losing the weight was extraordinary, preparing was unique," Stevenson said. "I was unable to associate with no one and in any event, battling without a group where you get him with a shot and don't hear oohs and ahhs is unique."
Not exclusively was Stevenson's speed a significant issue for his rough, unheralded rival who was battling outside of his local Puerto Rico just because, Stevenson did well in his 130-pound presentation to abstain from being exploited in the secure by out-catching Caraballo and discovering accomplishment with blends inside.
Despite the fact that the Mayweather correlations compliment him, Stevenson has been unquestionably progressively centered around clearing his own way toward potential enormity.
"Floyd and I are two distinct warriors. I feel like we have two unique styles," Stevenson said. "I took things from his game, however I took things from Terence Crawford, Pernell Whitaker and Andre Ward. I welcome the entirety of the examinations and it's a gigantic commendation, yet I'm my own contender. I'm the first Shakur Stevenson."
The notices of Mayweather have to a great extent originate from Stevenson's advertiser, Hall of Famer Bob Arum of Top Rank, who helped the two contenders change from Olympians to proficient heroes in brief timeframe.
"What a sublime exhibition by Shakur Stevenson," Arum said. "He continues showing signs of improvement, and have confidence, he is a future pound-for-pound hotshot."
Stevenson was so prevailing, he outlanded Caraballo by an edge of 121 to 18, as indicated by CompuBox. What's much crazier? Everything except six of Stevenson's landed punches were power shots, which he associated on in excess of 50 percent.
Named after the late rapper, on-screen character and dissident Tupac Shakur, the southpaw Stevenson gladly wore a Black Lives Matter shirt during his post-battle meeting and appeared to grasp the intensity of his open stage.
"Our kin at this moment, they are dissenting and there is a great deal going on in my locale," Stevenson said. "Many individuals are attempting to go to bat for what's correct. I couldn't generally go out there and dissent with them since I had a battle coming up, however since the battle is finished, I can go out there and dissent and demonstrate love to my kin and lift them up."
CBS Sports was with you the whole path on Tuesday presenting to all of you the outcomes and features from the Top Rank card in Las Vegas as boxing made its broadcast return. You can see those outcomes and features beneath.
Stevenson versus Caraballo card, results
Shakur Stevenson def. Felix Caraballo by means of 6th round TKO
Jared Anderson def. Johnnie Langston by means of third-round TKO
Guido Vianello def. Donald Haynesworth by means of first-round TKO
Quatavious Cash def. Calvin Metcalf by means of consistent specialized choice (60-54, 60-55, 59-55)
Robeisy Ramirez def. Yeuri Andujar by means of first-round TKO
Stevenson versus Caraballo scorecard, live inclusion