WBC Light heavyweight champion of the world champion Adonis “Superman” Stevenson (25-1, 21KOs) will make his 2015 debut April 4th. His opponent will be former WBC super middleweight world champion Sakio Bika (32-6-3 21KOs). Stevenson will have the home advantage as the site location will be in Quebec, Canada where he resides. Bika’s heart and street fighting style should make the bout an entertaining one for the locals.
Breakthrough
In 2013 Stevenson had a breakout year and burst himself into the boxing mainstream in a big way. First he knocked out world champion Chad Dawson in the very first round in spectacular fashion to become the new WBC world champion. The bout was aired on HBO Boxing After Dark as the Main Event. This exposure was very important for Stevenson as many casual fans had never seen him fight before and got to see his power on display. About 3 months later and again on HBO he completely dominated ex champ Tarvoris Cloud who retired on his stool at the end of round 7. In his third straight appearance on HBO he stopped mandatory Tony Bellew in round 6. On the televised co feature of that same card was fellow belt holder and WBO Light heavyweight champion of the world Sergei Kovalev. Kovalev made the most of his tv exposure scoring a vicious knockout of Ismayl Sillah. The stage seemed to be set for a showdown in 2014 between Stevenson and Kovalev.
Switch to Showtime
In 2014 boxing fans were anticipating an instant classic between both Stevenson and Kovalev. Stevenson switched to Showtime while Kovalev was with HBO. Each guy would continue unbeaten in 2014 but Stevenson was still perceived as the pound for pound top guy at 175 pounds by Ring Magazine. A unified showdown between Stevenson and WBA/IBF Champion Bernard Hopkins was being considered for 2014 but the fight never was made. A bout between Hopkins and Kovalev did materialize with Kovalev decisively dethroning Hopkins by unanimous decision this past November.
Staying on top
Kovalev now has three world titles but it is Stevenson who is still universally recognized as the top Light heavyweight. The gap is closing though as Kovalev continues to fight the best opposition available. Kovalev will face former world champion Jean Pascal next month. A win over Pascal would keep Kovalev on the heels of Stevenson for the top spot at 175. Bika is a very tough and game fighter. He packs a decent punch and has shown a solid chin at 168. The question is will he bring both of those up with him to 175. Defense has not been a strength of Bika’s throughout his career. This should work well in the favor of Stevenson who has a powerful offensive arsenal. Overall skill and speed should favor Stevenson. Bika has never been stopped in his pro career. If Stevenson were to become the first and do it in an exciting manner would be a nice touch. It should also help him maintain his hold on his Ring Magazine crown.
