Shakur Stevenson Repeatedly Drops Josh Padley to Retain 135-lb Title

Shakur Stevenson (23-0, 11 KOs) proved that Josh Padley (15-1, 4 KOs) was no match for him by stopping him in nine rounds.

The official time of stoppage was 3:00. With the win, Stevenson remains the WBC lightweight world champion. He won the title against Edwin De Los Santos in late 2023 and was making his second defence of it.

The fight took place on a Riyadh Season card at the ANB Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Boxing fans around the world could catch the action live on DAZN as a pay-per-view (PPV). TNT Sports and Sky Sports also carried the card for those in the United Kingdom. PPV.com were also broadcasting the event.

Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 is part of Riyadh Season, a state-funded entertainment and sports festival. The Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority is responsible for its organization.

Shakur Stevenson Drops, Stops Josh Padley to Retain Title

Shakur Stevenson vs. Josh Padley Fight Recap

The opening round was a tentative one, with neither fighter committing much offensively. By the second, it became evident that Stevenson was the quicker of the two and he was landing before Padley could even react. Despite the Englishman’s best efforts, he was doing little to bother his opponent. Stevenson was either evading or blocking his punches for most of the fight.

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In round nine, a straight left to the body sent Padley down for the first time in the fight. Through he got up, he was knocked down again from a body shot not long after. Just prior to the round’s end, another straight left sent Padley down for a third time. It was a that point that his corner threw in the towel to put an end to proceedings.

Originally, Stevenson was to face Floyd Schofield on this card. Schofield did make it to Saudi Arabia, but fell ill and was unable to go forth with the bout. As a result, Padley stepped in on short notice.