If Adonis Stevenson has lost a step, we can’t tell. Neither can latest opponent Andrzej Fonfara. Stevenson, the soon-to-be 40yr old. WBC world light heavyweight champion, obliterated Fonfara via second round TKO in front of fellow Canadians in Montreal’s Bell Center.
This was a far cry from their first encounter in 2014, when Stevenson won a unanimous decision but hit the deck in the process. Much had changed for Fonfara since. The Poland national won three straight, including decision victories over Nathan Cleverly and Julio Cesar Chavez, before unheralded Joe Smith Jr. flattened him in one round 12 months ago.
Fonfara (29-5, 17KO’s) returned to the ring last March against Chad Dawson, rallying late to stop the faded former champion in ten.
He had no such luck here. Stevenson’s left hand is the best in the sport today. The southpaw launched a powerful one midway through the first that caused Fonfara to lose control of his legs. Another left introduced him to the second. Fonfara struggled to rise and to get out of the round as “Superman” continued to unload left on a defenseless and woozy opponent.
Stevenson continued to pound away in the second; Fonfara teetered with every shot. When another big left elicited more “ooh’s” and “aah’s” from the partisan crowd, Fonfara trainer Virgil Hinter stood on the apron and waved the white flag. Official time was 0-28.
Stevenson (29-1, 24 KO’s) will have to defend his title against Colombia’s Eleider Alvarez. Alvarez (23-0, 11 KO’s) impressed in the chief co-feature on Showtime Championship Boxing, winning a twelve-round majority decision over former world champion Jean Pascal.
Alvarez is now the WBC light heavyweight Silver world titlist. Pascal (31-5-1, 18KO’s) has seen better days but he was wily enough to nick a few rounds and test the betting favorite. But Alvarez used a ramrod jab to control most of the action.
After eating a hard right in the first, he mixed in that rangefinder with veteran-like feints to set up his power punches. Pascal was game throughout but in the end Alvarez was too fast, too powerful and simply too young. Final scores were 114-114, 117-111 and 116-112 for Alvarez.
