The great Andre Ward himself must’ve had doubts he possessed the kryptonite to doom WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis “Superman” Stevenson (29-1, 24KOs).
It would’ve been a nightmare match-up for “S.O.G”, and we’re likely to find out why Saturday night at Air Canada Center in Toronto, someone— is going to deliver a star making performance in a signature moment, LIVE on SHOWTIME (10:05PM/ET), as badass Badou Jack (22-1-2, 13KOs) challenges for the throne. The eye test says Stevenson will remain seated with authority.
Though able to beat up a prime Tony Bellew – and “Pretty” Ricky Conlan if that counts, Stevenson has struggled with Andrzej Fonfara—of whom Badou Jack is a much better version of; slipped past a Ward leftover in Sakio Bika and pounded guys that were “a’ight”. But let’s be honest, there were some green reasons why he didn’t face Kovalev, and it has everything to do with pulling a Mayweather V Pacquiao (maxing the fight’s potential without risking a loss). It was arguably much bigger in 2014, but it’s the last mega-fight option for both if they win exciting wars (Kovalev V Alvarez, Etess Arena on August 4).
Adonis Stevenson V Badou Jack is a summer blockbuster in Canada and an absolute action fight anywhere. Jack is coming to be “The Ripper” for this, while Superman is going to have to leap tall buildings with a single punch.
He will.
Jack is capable of picking Stevenson apart; being around the mind of Floyd Mayweather has to make a “good fighter” better—which is why Jack can now be considered a great fighter. With trainer Lou Del Valle in the mix, now we’re looking at someone with the mentality of a light heavyweight Sonny Liston, coming at the Thomas Hearns that you saw against Sugar Ray Leonard in their rematch, only a little bigger. Who do you think wins that? Pound for pound I think that Hearns was just a special athlete from the Kronk.
I honestly feel like Hearns would have fucked Liston up. He’s not Tommy Hearns, but Stevenson goes Hitman on Jack. The “sweet science” doesn’t hand out an ode with ease, and because the late/great Emanuel Stewart is regarded with honor, his work in producing the powerful Stevenson is a part of that legacy, for he doesn’t become “Superman” without him.
Steward once told me at the airport in Tampa several years ago, that Adonis has “the potential to be the most special talent I’ve ever had”, and right now would be the time to show it. This would be a redux of Hearns, the aged rib variety, dueling with a very refined Iran Barkley in his prime.
If ever there was a fight to sell a possible Adonis Stevenson Vs Sergey Kovalev mega-fight, this would be thee fight. If your’re Jack, you systematically break Adonis down and get rid of him (which could very well happen). That’s unlikely. Even at an advanced age of 40, Stevenson is a modern marvel of fitness and Haitian genetics. His flamboyant, brash and aggression approach to Jack’s sniper mentality from the pocket, is made for an A+ match-up in entertainment quality. This is simply a can’t-miss-fight, that will feature action and suspense for 3:00’s of every round, for at any second anything can change. This will begin with heavy rounds and close out the tab with a major bomb shot, for what will amount to a Badou of empty Jack lying and spinning all over the canvas in round 5.
