Light heavyweight world champion Adonis “Superman” Stevenson (27-1, 22 KOs) returns to defend his belt against hard-hitting challenger Thomas “Top Dog” Williams Jr. (20-1, 14 KOs) in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions (PBC) on Spike Friday, July 29 from Centre Videotron in Quebec City, Canada.
Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/8 pm. CT and features former world champion “Bad” Chad Dawson (34-4, 19 KOs) against top light heavyweight contender Eleider “Storm” Alvarez (19-0, 10 KOs) in a 10-round showdown.
Stevenson will be making his seventh title defense and his second straight defense on Spike. His latest challenge will be the young and hungry Williams Jr. who comes in with a straight-forward style and a ton of confidence after he knocked out Edwin Rodriguez in the second round of their April clash.
“I am very happy to return to the ring on July 29 in Quebec,” said Stevenson. “I will demonstrate that like fine wine, I am even better with age. Even though I haven’t boxed in 10 months, I’ve never left the gym and I’m willing and ready to defend my crown.”
“There were many people who had lost trust in me two years ago after my loss, but here I am” said Williams Jr. “There were circumstances that led to that result, but I don’t make excuses and that is in the past. I’m coming off of the best performance of my career and I’m ready to hold that belt on July 29. Stevenson has never faced a puncher like me.”
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Group Yvon Michel (GYM), start at $50, and are on sale now. Tickets are on sale at Videotron Centre, GYM (514) 383-0666 or at Champion Boxing Club (514) 376-0980.
“Adonis Stevenson has been a world champion since 2012 and we expect another great show on July 29,” said Yvon Michel, President og GYM. “The fights on July 29 will include a group of ambitious and talented boxers, which promises a show with intense fighters making statements.”
Stevenson won the world light heavyweight title in June of 2013 in Montreal, via a sensational 76-second, first-round knockout over the then-undisputed king of the division Chad Dawson. The impressive victory earned Stevenson “Knockout of the Year” and “Fighter of the Year” accolades. From there, Stevenson went on to record stoppage victories over Tavoris Cloud and Tony Bellew while winning a decision over Andzej Fonfara. Born in Haiti, but fighting out of Quebec, Stevenson defended his title twice last year as he defeated Sakio Bika and stopped Tommy Karpency in the third round.
Williams Jr., a 28-year-old from Fort Washington, Maryland, was introduced to boxing by his father, a former pro fighter. A dynamite puncher, his biggest victory came in his last bout when he knocked out Rodriguez in their fast-paced duel. However, the southpaw has also proven his endurance with unanimous decision victories over warriors like Michael Gbenga, Yusaf Mack and Otis Griffin. Prior to the showdown with Rodriguez he scored a second-round TKO over world-ranked contender Umberto Savigne last November.
A former world champion at light heavyweight, Dawson returns to the ring looking to earn another world title shot. The 33-year-old owns victories over former world champions Bernard Hopkins, Antonio Tarver and Tomasz Ademek and is coming off of victories over Shujaa El Amin. The New Haven, Connecticut-native will be fighting in Canada for the fourth time in his career.
A 2008 Colombian Olympian fighting out of Montreal, Alvarez defeated fellow top contender Isaac Chilemba in November 2015 to solidify his spot amongst the top light heavyweights in the division. The 32-year-old owned victories over previously unbeaten Ryno Liebenberg and Andrew Gardner plus triumphs over veterans Edison Miranda and Alexander Johnson heading into 2015. Alvarez was impressive in stopping Anatoliy Dudchenko and giving Isidro Ranon Prieto his first loss leading up to the bout with Chilemba.
For more information visit www.premierboxingchampions.com, www.groupeyvonmichel.ca, and www.spike.com/shows/premier-boxing-champions, follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @AdonisSuperman, @TopDoggJr, @yvonmichelgym@SpikeTV and @SpikeSports and become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxing, and www.Facebook.com/Spike. Highlights available to embed at www.youtube.com/premierboxingchampions. PBC on ESPN is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.
