RENO, Nevada – Joet Gonzalez simply smiled and turned away Friday as Shakur Stevenson talked trash to him on a makeshift stage.
The unbeaten contender is confident he’ll turn away Stevenson on Saturday night when they fight for the vacant WBO featherweight title. Moments before they stood face-to-face at Atlantis Casino Resort Spa, Stevenson and Gonzalez both made weight for their 12-round, 126-pound title fight at Reno-Sparks Convention Center.
The 22-year-old Stevenson (12-0, 7 KOs), of Newark, New Jersey, stepped on the Nevada State Athletic Commission’s scale at exactly 126 pounds. The 26-year-old Gonzalez (23-0, 14 KOs), of Glendora, California, was slightly lighter than Stevenson (125¼ pounds).
Stevenson is ranked No. 1 by the WBO, one spot ahead of the second-rated Gonzalez. They’ll box for the unclaimed WBO featherweight title that Mexico’s Oscar Valdez vacated to move up to 130 pounds nearly three months ago.
Odds-makers have consistently listed Stevenson as a 5-1 favorite to beat Gonzalez.
There’s animosity between the combatants because Stevenson has been dating Gonzalez’s younger sister, Jajaira Gonzalez, for the past three years. Gonzalez has spoken about their relationship extensively, whereas Stevenson only has reluctantly discussed it with ESPN’s Mark Kriegel.
ESPN+ will stream their 126-pound championship match as the main event of a show set to start at 10 p.m. EDT/7 p.m. PDT. Undercard coverage will begin on ESPN+ at 6:30 p.m. EDT/3:30 p.m. PDT.
Below are weigh-in results for all 10 fights on the Stevenson-Gonzalez undercard:
Mikaela Mayer (11-0, 4 KOs), Colorado Springs, Colorado, 129½ pounds vs. Alejandra Zamora (7-3, 1 KO), Comodoro Rivadavia, Argentina, 129¼ pounds, 10 rounds for Mayer’s NABF super featherweight title.
Joshua Greer Jr. (21-1-1, 12 KOs), Chicago, 117½ pounds vs. Antonio Nieves (19-2-2, 11 KOs), Cleveland, 117½ pounds, 10 rounds for the NABO and WBC Continental Americas bantamweight titles.
Albert Bell (15-0, 5 KOs), Toledo, Ohio, 132 pounds vs. Frank De Alba (23-4-2, 9 KOs), Reading, Pennsylvania, 132½ pounds, 10 rounds, lightweights.
Francisco Esparza Jr. (9-1-1, 3 KOs), Las Vegas, 132 pounds vs. Matt Conway (17-0, 7 KOs, 1 NC), Pittsburgh, 131½ pounds, eight rounds, lightweights.
Andy Vences (22-1-1, 12 KOs), San Jose, California, 131¼ pounds vs. Mark Benaldez (19-2, 13 KOs), General Santos City, Philippines, 130¼ pounds, 10 rounds, junior lightweights.
Jason Sanchez (14-1, 7 KOs), Albuquerque, New Mexico, 125½ pounds vs. Adeilson Dos Santos (19-6, 15 KOs), Sao Paulo, Brazil, 125¼ pounds, 10 rounds, featherweights.
Xander Zayas (pro debut), 145½ pounds, Sunrise, Florida, vs. Genesis Wynn (1-0), Denver, 144½ pounds, four rounds, welterweights.
Diego Elizondo (2-0-2), Carson City, Nevada, 135½ pounds vs. Mike Sanchez (5-0, 2 KOs), Colton, California, 133½ pounds, four rounds, lightweights.
Wilfred Mariano (1-0, 1 KO), Reno, Nevada, 142½ pounds vs. Sean William Cerveny (0-1), San Antonio, 144¼ pounds, four rounds, welterweights.
Jared Anderson (pro debut), Toledo, Ohio, 233¼ pounds vs. Daniel Infante (1-2), Youngstown, Ohio, 232 pounds, four rounds, heavyweights.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.
