At the Air Canada Centre, in Ontario, Canada, Saturday night Lex Baxter Promotions, GYM Promotions Yvon Michel and USA Showtime brought WBC World Light Heavyweight champion Adonis “Superman” Stevenson defending his title against the WBA World Light Heavyweight champion Badou Jack “The Ripper” in a unification bout.
In the Main Event WBC World Light Heavyweight champion southpaw Haitian Adonis “Superman” Stevenson, 29-1-1 (24), of Quebec, CAN, and Sweden’s former WBA World Light Heavyweight and Super Middleweight champion Badou Jack “The Ripper”, 22-1-3 (13), of Las Vegas, NV, ended in a draw.
In the first round it took Jack over a minute to throw a jab while Stevenson used a jab until then. Stevenson kept backing up jack who was very reluctant to throw a punch. Stevenson ended the round with a combination to the body and head. In the second round Stevenson landed a lead left to the head of Jack. Stevenson landed a left uppercut to the chin of the defensive minded Jack. With a minute left in the round Stevenson rocked Jack with a lead left to the chin. Jack has shown much too much respect with hardly any offense.
In the third round it was all Stevenson before at the halfway mark Jack landed a right to the mid-section of Stevenson. Again, Stevenson dominated with Jack doing very little offensively. In the fourth round it was all Stevenson until just over a minute before Jack landed a right to the chin. Stevenson ended the round with a lead left to the chin of Jack.
In the fifth round the referee seemed as reluctant as Jack to get involved doing more yelling than separating the boxers. Too much clinching and nothing much until under a minute left in the round when Stevenson landed some good body work and left uppercuts to the chin as Jack spent more time wrestling than fighting. In the sixth round Stevenson went on the attack when Jack finally countered with some punching. Stevenson kept backing up Jack with both hands before Jack landed a telling right to the chin halfway through the round. Stevenson with hands down started taunting Jack to fight. Jack waited until the ten second warning to throw punches with the last one going low getting a warning from the referee.
In the seventh round Jack began to fight after the first minute. With a little over a minute left in the round Jack landed several hard rights to the chin of Stevenson. Jack warned for a low blow with seconds left in the round. Floyd “Money” Mayweather was at ringside cheering on his boxer Jack who may have won his first round.
In the eighth round Jack landed a 3-punch combination to the body and head of Stevenson. Jack landed a low punch giving Stevenson a minute rest. At the halfway point Jack opened up hurting Stevenson for the first time in the fight with a right to the chin. With half a minute left in the round Jack landed a pair of rights to the head of Stevenson. Stevenson had a bloody nose at the end of the round.
In the ninth round it was all Jack until the halfway mark when Stevenson started throwing punches. He seemed to be tiring possibly from throwing so many punches. Jack landed four punches with the last a solid right uppercut to the chin hurting Stevenson. In the tenth round it was Jack throwing punches and Jack doing little in return. Jack landed a good right uppercut to the chin hurting Stevenson. It wasn’t until the last fifteen seconds that Stevenson opened up rocking Jack with a left to the mid-section.
In the eleventh round Stevenson opened up with a good body attack driving Jack all over the ring making Jack holding. Stevenson landed several punches to the body and head with Jack returning a pair to the chin. Jack landed the last punch of the round a lead right to the chin and may have pulled out the round.
In the twelfth and final round Jack started out fast up until a minute went buy when Stevenson landed a left to the chin. The referee keeps jumping in when they are fighting inside. Jack landed several overhand rights to the head before Stevenson countered with a left of his own to the head. Jack had Stevenson in trouble at the end of the fight with a flurry of punches to the head of Stevenson. It was all Stevenson the first six rounds and Jack the last six rounds.
Judge Cavalary and Murlinsky 114-114 while Reis 115-113 Jack. This writer had it 114-114.
Welterweight Mikael Zewski, 31-1 (22), of Quebec, CAN, shut out Diego “El Rina” Gonzalo Luque, 21-6-1 (10), of Cordoba, AR, for the WBC International title.
Colombian NABF Heavyweight champion Oscar “Kaboom” Rivas, 24-0 (17), of Montreal, CAN, defended his title shutting out Herve “Double hache” Hubeaux, 29-3 (14), of Namur Belgium, over 10 rounds keeping the NABF Heavyweight title.