Shakur Stevenson is scheduled to face Artem Harutyunyan on July 6 in Newark

There’s a lot going on with Shakur Stevenson’s retirement.
Stevenson, ranked No. 4 by The Ring at 135 pounds, will attempt to defend his WBC lightweight belt against Armenian-born German Olympian Artem Harutyunyan on Saturday, July 6, at the Prudential Center in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey. .
In this segment, O’Shaquie Foster will defend his WBC junior lightweight belt against Brazil’s Olympic gold medalist and three-time world champion Robson Conceição.
In a televised lightweight 10-round bout, Keyshawn Davis will face Mexican veteran Miguel Madueño.
Stevenson-Harutyunyan, Foster-Conceição, and Davis-Madueño will air live on ESPN, ESPN, Deportes and ESPN+ at 9 pm ET/6 pm PT.
Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs) won world titles in three weight classes during a seven-year run. After earning a silver medal at the 2016 Olympics, he made his pro debut in 2017 and rose quickly. He captured his first world title by defeating Joet Gonzalez for the WBO featherweight belt in October 2019. Two years later, he stopped Jamel Herring in 10 rounds to win the WBO title at 130 kilograms. The 26-year-old southpaw unified world titles by handing then-WBC champion Oscar Valdez his first loss in April 2022. Stevenson then made it two wins in a row at the Prudential Center by defeating Conceição in September and stopped his Japanese competitor Shuichiro Yoshino six last April. Hee defeated Dominican boxer Edwin De Los Santos last November to become the WBC lightweight world champion.
Stevenson said, “It feels good to be back home in Newark, where they enjoy a little legend, and to make my first defense at 135. On July 6, Down Goes Artem!”
Harutyunyan (12-1, 7 KOs) captured Germany’s Olympic bronze medal in 2016. He started his professional career the following year and went 12-0 in his home country with wins over Samuel Molina in September 2021 and Humberto Galindo in June 2022. .Last July, he made his US debut in a fight against Frank Martin. The 33-year-old had success with his aggression and right hand, although Martin rallied late to win a narrow decision. Harutyunyan will have his first world title shot against his second consecutive southpaw opponent.

Junior lightweight O’Shaquie Foster (right) in his last fight against Jon Fernandez. Photo by Dave Mandel/Showtime
Harutyunyan said, “I respect Shakur Stevenson as a champion, but I’m coming to shock the fans in my hometown and win the WBC lightweight championship. This is the opportunity of a lifetime, and I will make the most of it. This will be my second fight in the US and I have learned and improved since losing to Frank Martin.”
Foster (22-2, 12 KOs), ranked No. 2 by The Ring in junior lightweight, he had a stellar rookie career with more than 100 fights and another spot on the 2012 US Olympic team before entering the professional ranks later that year. . He suffered two early setbacks, including a split decision loss to Rolando Chinaa in July 2016. He returned over a year later with legendary trainer Bobby Benton and has since gone 12-0. Last February, he won the WBC world title with a points decision over two-division world champion Rey Vargas before a stunning 12th round victory against Eduardo “Rocky” Hernandez in October. The following month, Foster signed a long-term promotional deal with Top Rank. He is coming back after getting a split decision win over Abraham Nova in February.
Foster said, “I’m very excited to be back to defend my third title. Conceição is a great opponent in a fight with many top fighters, but come July 6, we will be ready. I will continue to prove that I am one of the best players in the world.”
Conceição (18-2-1, 9 KOs), ranked No. 7 by The Ring at junior lightweight and Brazil’s first Olympic boxing gold medalist, he became champion in November 2016. His only losses have come against undefeated world champions, including a close decision against then-WBC champion Valdez in September 2021. After a setback to Stevenson, Conceição’s June 2022 bout against Nicolas Polanco ended in a no contest. He followed that up by challenging three-weight world champion Emanuel Navarrete last November, climbing twice off the canvas and fighting to the balance of many. In April, he registered a seventh-round TKO against Jose Guardado in April.
Conceição said, “I’m looking forward to this fight with O’Shaquie Foster. This article is something I have been aiming for for a long time, and I will not let this opportunity pass me by. I can guarantee that I will give my best; I will leave everything in the ring. Blood, sweat, and dedication—all will be invested in this title. I am ready to face any challenge that comes my way. Let’s all go straight to victory! Brazil!”
Davis (10-0, 7 KOs), from Norfolk, Virginia, has made a quick transition from being an aspiring fighter. After going 3-0 as a pro, he earned a silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. In November 2021, he signed a long-term promotional deal with Top Rank and has accumulated seven wins since then. In 2023, he stopped Anthony Yigit in nine rounds in April and defeated Francesco Patera in a 10-round decision in July. After his victory over Nahir Albright in October was lost due to his marijuana test, Davis came back with renewed energy in February to dispatch former welterweight world champion Jose Pedraza by six. Madeño (31-2, 28 KOs) is on a three-fight winning streak after a decision loss to Jezreel Corrales in March 2022. The streak ended with a points decision to Canadian Steve Claggett last November, but he bounced back quickly with a decision. Justin Pauldo in February.
Davis said, “Madueño is a solid fighter with over 30 fights, and I have a lot of respect for what he brings to the table. I love fighting in Newark. The fans there are special, and I will feed off their energy and play the game.”
Undercard action – streaming live and exclusively on ESPN+ – – features the return of 20-year-old lightweight Abdullah Mason and undefeated Damian “Polish Hussar” Knyba.
Mason (13-0, 11 KOs) will make his third appearance in 2024 in an eight-round bout against Puerto Rican veteran Luis Lebron. The Cleveland native went 5-0 with four shutouts last year before stopping Benjamin Gurment in two in February. He is coming off a fourth round TKO win over Ronal Ron in April. Lebron (20-5-1, 13 KOs) gave tough tests to Duke Ragan and Henry Lebron and stopped Giovanni Gutierrez in February.
Knyba (13-0, 7 KOs), a 6-foot-7 behemoth with an 86-inch reach, returns in eight rounds against Richard Lartey (16-6, 13 KOs). He joined the Top Rank stable in January 2023 and won by TKO over Curtis Harper that April followed by decisions over Helaman Olguin in June and Michael Coffie in December.
A press release by Top Rank was used in this article.