Headline News

Mick Conlan and Shakur Stevenson to feature on Lomachenko-Rigondeaux undercard


Mick Conlan [4(4)-0] will share a card with rival Shakur Stevenson [3(1)-0] for the first time later this year.

Today it was confirmed that the U.S. Olympic silver medalist will box on the undercard of the Vasyl Lomachenko v Guillermo Rigondeaux showdown in New York on Saturday December 9th.

Conlan was confirmed for the same bill at The Theater at Madison Square Garden, the venue where he headlined his unprecedented St Patrick’s Day debut, earlier in the month.

Both will box in six-round fights on the undercard while the double Olympic medalists put on a show for the purists in the main event.

Conlan stopped Kenny Guzman on Friday night in Tucson, while Stevenson has not fought since his points win over David Michel Paz in August in Lincoln.

Newark’s Stevenson exploded onto the amateur scene as a teenager last year and stormed to silver in Rio.

However, a semi-final clash in Brazil with Conlan never materialised as a result of the Belfast man’s infamous loss to Vladimir Nikitin in the quarter finals. The bloodied Russian would withdraw from his bout with Stevenson, handing the youngster a bye to the final where he was edged out by Robeisy Ramirez.

Conlan would link up with Top Rank in the aftermath of the Games, with Stevenson – who has the recently-retired Andre Ward as an advisor – joining him at the outfit soon after.

Talk of a clash between the pair has been stoked by promoter Bob Arum, who likened it to Sugar Ray Leonard v Tommy Hearns, and Stevenson himself has started to send some verbal barbs the way of Conlan.

Initially a fight seemed unlikely due to Conlan’s intention to campaign first at super bantamweight and the growing Stevenson starting out at feather – but the Irish Olympic bronze medalist has abandoned this plan and is now a fully-fledged 126lber.

Comparisons are bound to be drawn on the night, and a shared fight week may also lead to some interaction between the pair as they round off their first full calendar year as pros.

frayne carpentry

Joe O'Neill

Reporting on Irish boxing the past five years. Work has appeared on irish-boxing.com, Boxing News, the42.ie, and local and national media. Provide live ringside updates, occasional interviews, and special features on the future of Irish boxing. email: joneill6@tcd.ie

x