Shakur Stevenson pounded out an impressive technical knockout against short-notice replacement Josh Padley in Riyadh on Saturday.
Things got off to a relatively slow start, but Stevenson really began to open up in the closing seconds of the third round, catching Padley with a big left hand before connecting with a combination that had the Brit on wobbly legs.
Stevenson once again had Padley reeling in the closing moments of the fifth round, connecting with a brutal body shot that nearly folded the challenger. Padley came firing back, but it was Stevenson who got the better of the exchange, peppering Padly with another well-timed combination up top.
To Padley’s credit, he never once backed down and attempted to return fire every time Stevenson unloaded on him, but the champ’s speed was clearly becoming too much for Padley to overcome.
In the ninth round, Stevenson’s relentless body attack paid dividends as he dropped Padley three times. Padley answered the referee’s eight-count each time, but with the third knockdown coming seconds before the end of the round, his corner opted to throw in the towel, bringing an end to the bout.
Official Result: Shakur Stevenson def. Josh Padley via TKO (retirement) at 3:00 of Round 9 to retain the WBC lightweight world championship.
