(ESPN Press) – Top Rank presented by AutoZone will be live this Saturday, April 8, at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and Live Stream on ESPN+. The tripleheader features a WBC lightweight title eliminator, a heavyweight clash, and a lightweight battle. The event takes place at Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey.
In the 12-round main event, undefeated former two-weight world champion Shakur Stevenson will take on Japanese puncher Shuichiro Yoshino in a WBC lightweight title eliminator.
Stevenson (19-0, 9 KOs), a former featherweight and junior lightweight world champion, returns to his hometown following last September’s triumph against Robson Conceição. The stubborn Conceição lasted the distance, but Stevenson dominated in front of 10,107 fans at Prudential Center. Stevenson won the WBO junior lightweight title with a 10th-round knockout over Jamel Herring in October 2021, then unified the division with a stirring 12-round display over WBC king Oscar Valdez the following April. Those victories propelled Stevenson, a 2016 U.S. Olympic silver medalist, to the top 10 of most pound-for-pound lists. He now sets his sights on a third weight class and a spot atop the pound-for-pound throne.
Yoshino (16-0, 12 KOs), the WBC’s No. 5 contender, is a former Japanese lightweight champion who compiled a 104-20 amateur record. After seven defenses of his Japanese title, Yoshino rose in the rankings following a banner 2022. Last April, he won a bloody technical decision over former world champion Masayuki Ito after Ito suffered a cut over his left eye. He followed up the Ito triumph in November with a sixth-round stoppage over Masayoshi Nakatani, best known to fans for his stands against Teófimo López and Vasiliy Lomachenko. Yoshino has never fought away from Japan and hopes to spoil Stevenson’s homecoming.
The 10-round co-feature will be a heavyweight clash between Jared “The Real Big Baby” Anderson and unbeaten George Arias.
Anderson (13-0, 13 KOs), a 23-year-old from Toledo, Ohio, has notched five consecutive second-round stoppages, including a demolition of the normally durable Jerry Forrest last December. Anderson received international headlines for his work as Tyson Fury’s chief sparring partner, but he’s now forging his own path as boxing’s most decorated young heavyweight.
Arias (18-0, 7 KOs), from the Dominican Republic, began his pro career in 2014 and has toppled seven unbeaten fighters in his ascension to contender status. Arias continued that trend in his previous two fights, defeating Cassius Chaney and Alante Green by split decision.
The lightweight opener will be a ten-round clash between U.S. Olympic silver medalist Keyshawn Davis and former Swedish Olympian and world title challenger Anthony Yigit.
In his most recent outing, Davis (7-0, 5 KOs), the 23-year-old standout from Norfolk, VA, dominated former world title challenger Juan Carlos Burgos. Yigit (26-2-1, 10 KOs), the 31-year-old Swedish contender, represented his homeland at the 2012 Olympics, and as a lightweight has knocked out his last two opponents.
The undercard will stream live and exclusively on ESPN+.
ESPN’s Joe Tessitore will call the action with Hall of Famer Timothy Bradley, Jr. as analyst; Mark Kriegel and Bernardo Osuna will serve as reporters.
Top Rank on ESPN Fight Card
Shakur Stevenson vs. Shuichiro Yoshino
Jared Anderson vs. George Arias
Keyshawn Davis vs. Anthony Yigit
Damian Knyba vs. Curtis Harper
Bruce Carrington vs. Brandon Chambers
Roy Barringer vs. Troy Isley
Kelvin Davis vs. Nelson Morales
Antoine Cobb vs. Jaylan Phillips
Top Rank Presents Tripleheader: Shakur Stevenson vs. Shuichiro Yoshino; Jared Anderson vs. George Arias; Keyshawn Davis vs. Anthony Yigit, Live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ Saturday, April 8, 2023 at 10 p.m. ET/ 7 p.m. PT
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