“Maybe they thought him too green, too inexperienced, susceptible to the pressure of the moment and its greater expectations. Maybe they looked at his record, the paltry eleven knockouts in nineteen fights, and thought him sufficiently harmless; or they saw in the simplicity of his style a rudimentary riddle, one less dynamic, less dangerous than others their fighter had solved. He had a title though, this inexperienced, somewhat simple fighter, and a reputation for inaction that offset his success. Maybe that is all the justification they needed: such was the strength of their belief in their fighter, their devotion to him. Maybe it blinded them.”

Read Beyond a Reasonable Doubt: Dmitrii Bivol Dominates Saul Alvarez on Hannibal Boxing.

“If stardom awaits Stevenson, 18-0 (9), so must a new division (or two). There is little for Stevenson to prove at 130 pounds. He would need two fights to collect the two remaining titles in the division, but the time Stevenson likely requires to secure those belts (while defending his own) would be wasted. Spare Kenichi Ogawa and Robert Gutierrez; let each suffer no worse than a hypothetical defeat. Lightweight is where Stevenson will meet his first stern test—and with it, the opportunity to be something better than dominant.”

Read Dominance Absent Danger: Shakur Stevenson Routes Oscar Valdez on Hannibal Boxing.

“This was ultraviolence, a piercing reminder of the abyss that can separate even the best fighters in a division. Spence burrowed into Ugas and pulverized him, taking the fight where Ugas could match neither his prowess nor his effort. His bodywork was relentless, a symbol of his supreme confidence. Spence places his body shots well, but not because he is concerned with missing. His withering assault is the culmination of the punches he lands and those that don’t. Land or not, the message in those punches is the same: you will neither deter nor withstand me. Ugas resisted as best he could, fighting the kind of fight he is poorly suited for against a superior fighter in his element.”

Read The Merciless: Errol Spence TKO10 Yordenis Ugas on Hannibal Boxing.