THIS WILL BE THE WBC’S 2, 234 CHAMPIONSHIP TITLE FIGHT IN THE SIXTY-TWO YEAR HISTORY OF THE WBC
FRANK WARREN / QUEENSBERRY PROMOTIONS PRESENTS
SHAKUR STEVENSON
(US)
WBC CHAMPION
NATIONALITY: USA
DATE OF BIRTH: JUNE 28, 1997
BIRTHPLACE NEWARK, NEW JERSEY
RESIDENCE: HOUSTON, TEXAS
AGE: 27
RECORD: 22-0-0, 10 ko’s
%KO’S: 45.5 %
GUARD: SOUTHPAW
TOTAL ROUNDS: 157
WORLD TITLE FIGHTS: 7 (7-0-0)
MANAGER: WILLIE MOSES
PROMOTER: TOP RANK
JOSH PADLEY
(GB)
CHALLENGER / WBC no. 12
NATIONALITY: GB
DATE OF BIRTH: NOVEMBER 12, 1995
BIRTHPLACE DONCASTER, YORKSHIRE, GB
RESIDENCE: ARMTHORPE, YORKSHIRE, GB
ALIAS: PADDY
AGE: 29
RECORD: 15-0-0, 14 ko’s
%KO’S: 26.7 %
GUARD: ORTHODOX
TOTAL ROUNDS: 90
WORLD TITLE FIGHTS: _______
MANAGER: MARK BATESON
PROMOTER: BATESON PROMOTIONS.
WBC´S LIGHTWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPIONS
NAME PERIOD AS CHAMPION
- CARLOS ORTIZ (P. RICO 1963 – 1965
- ISMAEL LAGUNA (PAN) 1965
- CARLOS ORTIZ (P. RICO) * 1965 – 1968
- CARLOS TEO CRUZ (DOM.R.) 1968 – 1969
- MANDO RAMOS (US) 1969 – 1970
- ISMAEL LAGUNA (PAN) 1970 *
- PEDRO CARRASCO (SPAIN) 1971 – 1972
- MANDO RAMOS (US) * 1972
- ERUBEY CARMONA (MEX) 1972
- RODOLFO GONZALEZ (MEX) 1972 – 1974
- ISHIMATSU SUZUKI (JAPAN) 1974 – 1976
- ESTEBAN DE JESUS (P. RICO) 1976 – 1978
- ROBERTO DURAN (PAN) 1978
- JIM WATT (GB) 1979 – 1981
- ALEXIS ARGUELLO (NIC) 1981 – 1983
- EDWIN ROSARIO (P. RICO) 1983 – 1984
- JOSE LUIS RAMIREZ (MÉX) 1984 – 1985
- HECTOR CAMACHO (P. RICO) 1985 – 1987
- JOSE LUIS RAMÍREZ (MÉX) * 1987 – 1988
- JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ (MÉX) 1988
- PERNELL WHITAKER (US) 1989 – 1991
- MIGUEL ANGEL GONZALEZ (MEX) 1992 – 1995
- JEAN BAPTISTE MENDY (FRA) 1996 – 1997
- STEVE JOHNSTON (US) 1997 – 1998
- CESAR BAZAN (MEX) 1998 – 1999
- STEVE JOHNSTON (US) * 1999 – 2000
- JOSE LUIS CASTILLO (MEX) 2000 – 2002
- FLOYD MAYWEATHER (US) 2002 – 2003
- JOSE LUIS CASTILLO (MEX) * 2004 – 2005
- DIEGO CORRALES (US) 2005
- JOSE ARMANDO SANTA CRUZ (US) INTERIM 2006
- DAVID DIAZ (US) INTERIM 2006 – 2008
- JOEL CASAMAYOR (CUBA) 2007
- MANNY PACQUIAO (PHIL) 2008
- EDWIN VALERO (VENEZUELA) 2009 – 2010
- ANTONIO DE MARCO (MEX) (INTERIM) 2009 – 2010
- HUMBERTO SOTO (MEXICO) 2010 – 2011
- ANTONIO DE MARCO (MEXICO) * 2011 – 2012
- ADRIEN BRONER (US) 2012 – 2013
- OMAR FIGUEROA (MEXICO/US) 2013 – 2014
- JORGE LINARES (VENEZUELA) 2014 – 2017
- DEJAN ZLATICANIN (MONTENEGRO) 2016 – 2017
- MIKEY GARCIA (US) 2017 – 2019
- VASSILIY LOMACHENKO (UKRAINE) FRANCHISE 2019 – 2020
- TEOFIMO LOPEZ (HONDURAS/US) FRANCHISE 2020 – 2021
- RYAN GARCIA (US) INTERIM 2021
- GEORGE KAMBOSOS JR. (AUSTRALIA) FRANCHISE 2021 – 2022
- DEVIN HANEY (US) 2019 – 2023
- SHAKUR STEVENSON (US) 2023 –
* REGAINED
WBC´S LIGHTWEIGHT TOP TEN CHAMPIONS
- FLOYD MAYWEATHER (US)
- JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ (MEXICO)
- ROBERTO DURAN (PANAMA)
- CARLOS ORTIZ (P. RICO)
- PERNELL WHITAKER (US)
- ALEXIS ARGUELLO (NICARAGUA)
- HECTOR CAMACHO (P. RICO)
- ISMAEL LAGUNA (PANAMA)
- ESTEBAN DE JESUS (P. RICO)
- EDWIN ROSARIO (P. RICO)
GENERAL INFORMATION ON THE LIGHTWEIGHT DIVISION IN THE HISTORY OF THE WBC
43 WORLD CHAMPIONS RECOGNIZED BY THE WBC
OF WHICH 7 HAVE REGAINED THEIR TITLE:
CARLOS ORTIZ (P. RICO)
ISMAEL LAGUNA (PANAMA)
MANDO RAMOS (US)
JOSE LUIS RAMIREZ (MEXICO)
STEVE JOHNSTON (US)
JOSE LUIS CASTILLO (MEXICO)
ANTONIO DeMARCO (MEXICO)
188 WORLD TITLE BOUTS HAVE BEEN HELD IN THE HISTORY OF THE WBC IN 16 COUNTRIES
THIS IS THE THIRD LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN SAUDI ARABIA IN THE WBC HISTORY.
.WORLD LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE BOUTS BY COUNTRY IN WBC HISTORY
U.S.A. 101
MEXICO 24
PUERTO RICO 12
ENGLAND 10
FRANCE 9
JAPAN 9
RUSSIA 5
SCOTLAND 5
AUSTRALIA 2
PANAMA 2
SAUDI ARABIA 2
SPAIN 2
VENEZUELA 2
DOMINICAN REP. 1
ITALY 1
PHILIPPINES 1
TOTAL FIGHTS 188
WBC TITLE BOUTS HELD IN SAUDI ARABIA
16 BOUTS HAVE BEEN HELD IN SAUDI ARABIA IN THE ENTIRE WBC HISTORY
26/02/2023 BADOU JACK – ILUNGA MAKABU (VOL.) TKO 12 DIRIYAH CR
12/07/2019 LERATO DLAMINI – DAVE PEÑALOSA (SILVER) UD 12 JEDDAH FE
08/03/2024 REY VARGAS – NICK BALL (MANDATORY) DREW 12 RIYADH FE
28/10/2023 TYSON FURY – FRANCIS NGANNOU SD 10 RIYADH HE
18/05/2024 OLEKSANDR USYK (WBA/IBF/WBO) – TYSON FURY SD 12 RIYADH HE
18/05/2024 AGIT KABAYEL – FRANK SANCHEZ (ELIM.) KO 7 RIYADH HE
21/12/2024 OLEKSANDR USYK (WBA/IBF/WBO) – TYSON FURY UD 12 RIYADH HE
20/08/2022 CALLUM SMTH – MATHIEU BAUDERLIQUE KO 4 JEDDAH LH
01/06/2024 WILLY HUTCHINSON – CRAIG RICHARDS (SILVER) UDE 12 RIYADH LH
12/10/2024 ARTUR BETERBIEV – DMITRII BIVOL MD 12 RIYADH LH
18/05/2024 MARK CHAMBERLAIN – JOSHUA OLUWASEUN WAHAB KO 1 RIYADH LI
16/11/2024 WILLIAM ZEPEDA – TEVIN FARMER SD 10 RIYADH, LI
01/06/2024 HAMZAH SHEERAZ – AUSTIN WILLIAMS (SILVER) TKO 11 RIYADH MI
28/09/2018 CALLUM SMITH – GEORGE GROVES (DIAMOND) KO 7 JEDDAH SM
22/02/2025 ARTUR BETERBIEV – DMITRII BIVOL _______ RIYADH LH
22/02/2025 CARLOS ADAMES– HAMZAH SHEERZ _______ RIYADH MI
THIS WILL BE THE 3rd. WBC LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE BOUT CELEBRATED IN SAUDI ARABIA IN ALL WBC HISTORY.
BREAKDOWN BY DIVISION:
HEAVY 4
LIGHT HEAVY 4
MIDDLE 2
LIGHT 2
FEATHER 2
CRUISER 1
SUPERMIDDLE 1
TOTAL BOUTS 16
WBC LIGHTWEIGHT MEMORABLES FIGHTS IN THE HISTORY OF THE WBC
15/02/1964 CARLOS ORTIZ – GABRIEL ELORDE KO 14 MANILA
22/10/1966 CARLOS ORTIZ – ULTIMINIO RAMOS KO 15 MEXICO CITY
28/11/1966 CARLOS ORTIZ – GABRIEL ELORDE KO 14 NEW YORK
06/06/1970 ISMAEL LAGUNA – ISHIMATSU SUZUKI TKO 13 PANAMA CITY
05/11/1971 PEDRO CARRASCO – ARMANDO RAMOS DISQ 12 MADRID
18/02/1972 ARMANDO RAMOS – PEDRO CARRASCO DEC 15 LOS ANGELES
15/09/1972 CHANGO CARMONA – ARMANDO RAMOS KO 8 LOS ANGELES
11/04/1974 ISHIMATSU SUSZUKI – RODOLFO GONZALEZ KO 8 TOKYO
21/01/1978 ROBERTO DURAN – ESTEBAN DE JESUS TKO 12 LAS VEGAS
20/06/1981 ALEXIS ARGUELLO – JIM WATT DEC 15 LONDON
03/10/1981 ALEXIS ARGUELLO – RAY MANCINI TKO 14 ATLANTIC CITY
01/05/1983 EDWIN ROSARIO – JOSE LUIS RAMIREZ DEC 12 SAN JUAN
03/11/1984 JOSE LUIS RAMIREZ – EDWIN ROSARIO TKO 4 SAN JUAN
10/08/1985 HECTOR CAMACHO – JOSE LUIS RAMIREZ DEC 12 LAS VEGAS
13/06/1986 HECTOR CAMACHO – EDWIN ROSARIO DEC 12 NEW YORK
29/10/1988 JULIO CESAR CHAVEZ – JOSE LUIS RAMIREZ TDEC 11 LAS VEGAS
20/08/1989 PERNELL WHITAKER – JOSE LUIS RAMIREZ DEC 12 NORFOLK
19/05/1990 PERNELL WHITAKER – AZUMAH NELSON DEC 12 LAS VEGAS
27/11/1993 MIGUEL ANGEL GONZALEZ – WILFRIDO ROCHA TKO 11 MEXICO CITY
19/08/1995 MIGUEL ANGEL GONZALEZ – LAMAR MURPHY DEC 12 LAS VEGAS
13/06/1998 CESAR BAZAN – STEVE JOHNSTON DEC 12 EL PASO
27/02/1999 STEVE JOHNSTON – CESAR BAZAN DEC 12 MICCOSUKEE I. G.
17/06/2000 JOSE LUIS CASTILLO – STEVE JOHNSTON DEC 12 BELL GARDENS
20/04/2002 FLOYD MAYWEATHER – JOSE LUIS CASTILLO DEC 12 LAS VEGAS
07/05/2005 DIEGO CORRALES – JOSE LUIS CASTILLO TKO 10 LAS VEGAS
06/02/2010 EDWIN VALERO – ANTONIO DeMARCO TKO 9 MONTERREY
15/10/2011 ANTONIO DeMARCO – JORGE LINARES TKO 11 LOS ANGELES,
17/11/2012 ADRIEN BRONER – ANTONIO DeMARCO TKO 8 ATLANTIC CITY
31/08/2019 VASSILIY LOMACHENKO – LUKE CAMPBELL UD 12 LONDON
17/10/2020 TEOFIMO LOPEZ – VASSILIY LOMACHENKO UD 12 LAS VEGAS,
02/01/2021 RYAN GARCIA – LUKE CAMPBELL (INTERIM) TKO 7 DALLAS
29/05/2021 DEVIN HANEY – JORGE LINARES UD 12 LAS VEGAS
27/11/2021 GEORGE KAMBOSOS JR. – TEOFIMO LOPEZ UD 12 NEW YORK
Josh Padley steps into the breach to fight Shakur Stevenson
By James Blears
To put it politely, it looked like the World Boxing Council lightweight championship fight at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia was up the creek without a paddle, following an unexpected late withdrawal.
That was until Josh Padley stepped in, at just four days- notice, to replace Floyd ‘’Kid Austin’’ Schofield, who has fallen ill and awaits the results of tests carried out in hospital from which he has now been discharged.
Josh is ranked twelfth by the WBC, who along with the British Board of Boxing Control, have approved the lad from Yorkshire to fight the sublimely skilled Champion Shakur Stevenson. Josh is fighting fit and bursting with confidence.
Josh didn`t take Yorkshire Airlines to reach Saudi Arabia, because as the Hale and Pace humorous sketch so cheekily pointed out: ‘’If it ain`t in Yorkshire, then it`s not worth going to!’’ Certainly not true this time around, as ‘’The Last Crescendo’’ will be a wondrous night of championship fights, topped with the rematch between Artur Beterbiev Vs Dmitry Bivol for the Undisputed Light Heavyweight Crown.
Prior to all of this, Josh was already deep in training to fight Dalton Smith in April in Sheffield, the Steel City. Now he`ll be testing his mettle against the Champion who is from Newark, New Jersey. The original Newark is on the other side of The Big Pond, in Nottinghamshire, a stone`s throw away from Robin Hood`s Sherwood Forest.
Robin Hood who stole from the rich to give to the poor was nicknamed: ‘’The Prince of Thieves.’’ Well…Josh`s audacity has stolen the overture to this Grand Opera and the hearts of all those who relish the chance and the bow of an underdog. His Trainer and Manager Stefy ‘’Crazy’’ Bull stresses: ‘’This will change his life whatever the result.’’
For Armthorpe born Josh aged twenty- nine, this fight against brilliant Shakur, who has already won world titles at three different weights, is a huge step up in class, it`ll earn him plenty of ‘’Brass,’’and he himself is still unbeaten with a record of 15-0, 4 KO`s. Southpaw Shakur who is two years younger has built a record of 22-0, 10 KO`s.
Shakur whose timing, reflexes, anticipation, deliverance, defence and defiance is impeccable, is difficult to hit, hook or pin down and he`s elusive. He counter- punches beautifully and he can parry as well as neutralize opponents` offense. He doesn`t possess ice pick punching power but can box circles around rivals.
Josh who has fought in Yorkshire hotspots including: Leeds, Doncaster, Bradford, Sheffield and Rotherham, hit the headlines last September when he took the train to London and fought then undefeated Mark Chamberlain on the undercard of Anthony Joshua Vs Daniel Dubois at Wembley.
Josh knocked down Mark in the eighth round with a peach of a left hook applying: ‘’Ecky Thump,’’ as they say in Yorkshire. Mark was then deducted a point in the next round for pushing. At the end of ten entertaining rounds, Josh won a UD. He jubilantly said: ‘’Nobody believed I could do it, but I stuck to the gameplan and I got that victory.’’ This time around Josh is up against a Maestro of stick and move. He must stick to Shakur like a barnacle because if he doesn`t, as they say in Yorkshire, there will be: ‘’Trouble at Mill!’’ Josh needs to cotton on fast, apply needle and prevent Shakur from dancing a merry reel. Josh must not lose the thread!
Little is expected of Josh, so he has nothing to lose and potentially everything to gain. In the film entitled: ‘’The Imitation Game,’’ which was about breaking the Enigma Code Joan Clarke said to genius Alan Turing: ‘’Sometimes it is the people who no one imagines anything of…. who can do the things that no one can imagine.’’
Realistically and coming back down to earth with a bump, it is going to be devilishly difficult for Josh Padley to decipher the style of Shakur Stevenson. He`s going to need cunning and human guile, rather than AI or Artificial Intelligence to have a chance of achieving the Shock of the Century. Cold, hard statistics mean something. It isn`t easy to square a circle or encircle a supremo.
Shakur likes to fight in a relaxed, unhurried medium pace, picking his shots and deftly avoiding incoming fire with the skills of Pythagoras. So, Josh must hurry, harry and not tarry, trying to force him out of his comfort zone, exploiting all angles. When pressured or irked, Shakur can dip into his extensive and expansive tool bag to provide a dazzling array of artillery which carries poignant pinpoint accuracy, rather than blunderbuss power.
Both Shakur and Josh were preparing for very different types of fights. Who will adapt better in order to prevail? The odds, factors and track record experience are obviously on Shakur`s side and suggest him. So, what can a dark horse achieve when boxed in on the rails? He must try to stretch his legs and go for broke in order to provide the fight of his life. Ey-up!
