Adonis Stevenson Turns Away Determined Fonfara
by Cliff Rold - In the toughest fight of his title reign to date, Haitian 36-year old World Light Heavyweight Champion Adonis Stevenson (24-1, 20 KO) of Laval, Quebec, Canada, scored knockdowns in the first and fifth, and overcame a knockdown in the ninth, to win a unanimous decision over Polish 26-year old challenger Andrzej Fonfara (25-3, 15 KO) of Chicago, Illinois, on Saturday night at the Bell Centre in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. It was Stevenson’s third defense of the lineal and WBC crowns he won with a first round knockout of Chad Dawson in June 2013. This was Fonfara’s first title attempt. Both men came in under the Light Heavyweight limit of 175 lbs., Stevenson at 173 ½ and Fonfara at 174 ½. The referee was Frank Garza. Fonfara didn’t shy away from the champion at the start, coming right at him and landing a solid right hand near the ropes. Stevenson backed Fonfara up with a southpaw left. Fonfara landed a left, and then a nice combination, but the response was stronger. A Stevenson left put Fonfara on the deck and, after beating the count, Fonfara struggled to survive as Stevenson poured it on. Fonfara punched back sparingly, and held when he could, while taking some heavy leather to the head and body, making it to the bell. The challenger again came hard at the champion at the bell for the second, landing a right hand and then two more single blasts. Stevenson landed a counter left, and then another, and then a third, the round just past a minute old. The crowd chanted “Superman” for the champion as both men stayed at range and looked for openings. Both men landed single hard shots to the body in the final minute but neither could find a big head shot before the bell. Once again it was Fonfara initiating to start the third, blocking and then eating lefts from Stevenson. Fonfara countered a Stevenson left to the body with a left to the head, the champion shaking his head that it didn’t bother him. Fonfara had moments working off the jab and, as had been the case in the second, defended well against the left in terms of minimizing full affect. The quicker Stevenson took over the round in the last minute to maintain his scoring edge.
