MONTRÉAL - Several times during the last week, Adonis Stevenson promised to his fans in Montréal to win by KO or TKO the first defense of his WBC light heavyweight championship of the world. Did he lie? No sir. Stevenson (22-1-0) kept his WBC light heavyweight championship of the world in stopping Tavoris Cloud (24-2-0) at the end of the 7th round. It was the first time in his career that Cloud lost by TKO.

Stevenson caused a real commotion June 8th, at Bell Centre, when he dethroned the veteran Chad Dawson as WBC champion, in stopping him after only 76 seconds of action. He caused another commotion Saturday evening in front of 8,000 fans at the Bell Centre in Montréal. Few days ago, Cloud said: “I am not Dawson. Stevenson will never beat me by KO or TKO. I will leave Montréal with the WBC belt in my luggages.” Did he lie? Yes.

Stevenson hurt Cloud in the second minute of the first round, with a solid power shot of the head. Cloud came back in his corner with a cut to the left eye, After a close second round, Stevenson came back strong in the third, with his jabs follow by solid power shot.

Stevenson gave a hard time to Cloud in the fourth: round with his power punches. Cloud's eye was bleeding seriously at the end of this round.

After a close 5th round, Stevenson has connected Cloud with multiple power shots in the 6th, and the Cloud left eye was in worse condition.

In the 7th, Stevenson hurt Cloud with a left power punch. Cloud was bleeding badly from both eyes.
At the end of round, Cloud indicated to the referee Mike Griffin that it was over for him.

“ I got a good plan for this fight.,” said Stevenson. “I was using my jab a lot, and my jab was preparing my power shots. More the fight was going, more I was sure to stop Cloud, who got two eyes in terrible condition. Obviously, I am proud to become the first fighter to beat Cloud before the limit. But I was in
perfect control of the situation, and I know I was hurting Cloud frequently. What next? I am ready to fight all the bid names in the division, but I guess the British Tony Bellew in the next on the list. He is my mandatory challenger, I will certainly be ready to meet him in November in Québec City.”

PASCAL BY KO

The Montrealer Jean Pascal is ready for his big match up with Lucian Bute, scheduled for January 18th at Bell Centre.Former WBC light heavyweight champion of the world, Pascal (28-2-1) won by KO this tune up fight opposing him to Georges Blades (23-5-2), from Indianapolis. Pascal gave a hard time to Blades in the second round. He connected him with more than 30 power shots. But the crowd was boing the fight in the two next rounds. In the fifth round, Pascal floored Blades tree times in less than a minute, winning automatically by KO.

BIG AND IMPORTANT WIN FOR ALVAREZ

NABA and NABO North American champion in the light heavyweight division, the Montrealer Colombian Eleider Alvarez is closer than ever to a world championship bout. Alvarez (13-0-0) won the most
important bout of his pro boxing career, when he beat his veteran compatriot Edison “Panthera” Miranda (35-9-0) by unanimous decision (95-94, 99-90 and 97-92). It was the first time that Alvarez was facing
a boxer with so much experience on the international level. Alvarez provoked the only knockdown of the eight round with a superb power shot on the head.

BIZIER PLAYED WITH LAURI

Kevin Bizier, a boxer from Québec City who should participate to an IBF welterweight championship of the world in 2014, proved another time his natural talent right after the fight Décarie-Labri. Bizier made another step in direction of the IBF title, in giving a boxing lesson to the veteran hungarian Giuseppe Lauri, who showed up in the ring with a record of 53-14-0. NABA and IBF Inter-Continental champion, Bizer, who has dominated the bout from the beginning to the end, won by unanimous decision in six rounds. All the juges scored the fight 60-53 for Bizier. Undefeated in 21 pro bouts, Bizier should fight a boxer ranked in the Top 15in the world in November in Québec City.

LEMIEUX EASILY

The young middleweight David Lemieux knew he got a difficult mission in fighting Marcus Upshaw, a southpaw of 6'4'' coming from Jacksonville, Florida. Upshaw (15-11-2) showed how much he was tough when he beat Renan St-Juste in Québec City in 2010, and when he lost by decision against the Mexican Marco Antonio Rubio recently. Lemieux (30-2-0), a Montrealer who hopes to be involved in a world championship bout in 2014 or 2015, floored Upshaw in the the third round. Lemieux never stopped to attack Upshaw in the next rounds, but the American was resisting. He won clearly the fight, by unanimous decision (3 scores of 80-71).

TOUGH FIGHT FOR DÉCARIE

The Montrealer Antonin Décarie, who will be involved in the WBC welterweight international tournament next year, wanted to get a perfect fight at his first presence on the ring since his recent lost in Argentina, against the WBC interim champion, the Argentinian Carlos Luis Abregu (35-1-0). Décarie did not have what we can call… a picnic, with the French Salim Larbi. The fight, scheduled for only six rounds, was intense and rough. Décarie (28-2-0), who attacking furiously in the last round, won finally this fight by unanimous decision (59-55, 58-56 and 58-56).

In the opening bout of the evening, the Russain rookie Artur Beterbiev, the last acquisition of the GYM Group, scored his second win in pro boxing (2-0-0), in stopping the light heavyweight Rayco Saunders (23-21-2), from Pittsbugh, Pennsylvania, Beterbiev, who was hitting his opponent solidly in each round, floored Saunders twice in the third round. When he came back in his corner at the end of this third round, Saunders mentioned to his trainers it was enough for him. Beterbiev won automatically by TKO.