FOR a man who often refers to himself as “The King”, Adonis Stevenson has a strange dislike of facing top opponents. This time it is unavoidable.
The World Boxing Council (WBC) light heavyweight champion will face a formidable challenge in the shape of slick-boxing Badou Jack, the US-based Swede, on Sunday from 3.30am.
Stevenson has held the WBC crown since 2013, but has largely managed to avoid elite fighters like Sergey Kovalev and Andre Ward, feasting instead on easy pickings.
It has earned him a reputation for being a low-risk boxer although there’s no doubting his power, with 24 of his 29 wins having come via the short route.
Having earned the nickname “Superman” for once beating up 10 people while in prison during his youth, Stevenson loves to put on a show.
But beating Jack will require all his smarts. Jack is younger, shrewder and probably a better mover with a good boxing IQ.
“I’m the king at light heavyweight,” Stevenson said.
“I beat the king to become the king. I know that I’ve accomplished some great things, and my team and I plan to continue doing everything we can to stay on top.
“I’m the best fighter in this division, period. When I win, I’ll just be doing my job. People might still talk trash, but I’ll still be the champ.”
A former WBC super middleweight champion, Jack made three successful defences and moved up to light heavyweight to become a two-weight title-holder when he stopped Nathan Cleverly for the World Boxing Association belt last year.
He will present arguably the toughest test of Stevenson’s reign.
