Teenage stars Stevenson, Russell and Conwell on fire as USA Knockouts secure 3-2 win in Casablanca

The USA Knockouts prevented the Morocco Atlas Lions grabbing a precious first win of Season VI during a close contest in Casablanca on Friday night, with new sensation Shakur Stevenson again leading the way during a crucial 3-2 away victory.

The Atlas Lions’ sole winner from their Week 2 defeat against Mexico Guerreros, African Champion Imad Ahayoun, was first into the ring at light flyweight against Knockouts’ Colombian debutant Hernan Alarcon. The 22-year-old Moroccan put together a great run towards the end of the second round, before Alarcon fought his way back into contention with a brilliant fourth, but it was too little too late and Ahayoun took the judges’ decision.

Morocco’s 2014 National Light Welterweight Champion Abdelhaq Nadir then made his debut in the second bout of the evening against US National Olympic Trials winner Gary Russell. The American was keen for a strong start and had Nadir on the ropes before a big left in the third round put his opponent on the ground, leaving the referee to award Russell the TKO triumph to tie the match at 1-1.

With the contest nicely balanced, Knockouts’ talented newcomer Charles Conwell was able to edge his team ahead as he overcame the hosts’ veteran African Champion Badreddine Haddioui, and the increasingly impressive figure of 18 year-old bantamweight Shakur Stevenson then put the tie beyond any doubt as he powered through against African Champion Mohamed Hamout. Athlete of the Week in Week 2, Stevenson again showed why he could be one of the biggest names in boxing in 2016, consummately snuffing out Hamout’s aggressive attacks.

Another Atlas Lions African Champion, Abdeldjalil Abouhamada, ensured the evening ended on a high note for the fans, delivering an emphatic win against Knockouts newcomer Brandon Glanton. Abouhamada looked fresh at the start of a busy Olympic year, and with Glanton unable to summon a fightback, the Moroccan took a unanimous judges’ decision. That meant the night ended 3-2 to USA Knockouts, who moved into second place in Group B and will now travel to London for a top-of-the-table clash with British Lionhearts in Week 8.

Morocco Atlas Lions On The Hunt For First Season VI Win Against USA Knockouts In Casablanca

Saturday night sees Morocco Atlas Lions entertain USA Knockouts in Week 6 of WSB Season VI, with both teams desperately in need of a win to keep their hopes of progressing to the knockout stages alive. The Lions lost their season opener in Mexico and couldn’t overcome the British Lionhearts in Casablanca during Week 4, while the Americans also fell to the British side but were able to comfortably dispose of Mexico Guerreros 4-1 in Miami a fortnight ago.

The Atlas Lions’ sole success against the Mexicans came from light flyweight Imad Ahayoun, and he will be looking to get the team off to another strong start when he tackles Knockouts’ Colombian draft-pick debutant Hernan Alarcon.

African Champion Mohamed Hamout won three top bouts in Season V, but his first taste of action in the new campaign will be a testing battle against US bantamweight sensation Shakur Stevenson, WSB’s standout boxer from Week 2. The third pair to take to the ring will be Morocco’s former light welterweight champion Abdelhaq Nadir and US National Olympic Trials winner teenager Gary Russell, and with neither boxer boasting significant international experience, it could be a case of whoever keeps his cool taking the bout.

The hosts’ London 2012 Olympian and former African Champion Badreddine Haddioui moved up to middleweight for the new season, where he faces a tough test against in-form American Charles Conwell in the fourth bout of the night. Should the match go down to the final contest, the Knockouts have broguht in 24 year-old Brandon Glanton, who made his WSB debut last season in a bruising encounter with Filip Hrgovic, to face the Atlas Lions’ African Champion Abdeldjalil Abouhamada.

Shakur Stevenson Shines But British Lionhearts Steal The Show On WSB’s Big Night In Miami

Thursday evening’s World Series of Boxing Season VI Group B curtain-raiser in Miami between two great boxing nations was always going to be an emotional affair, but at the final bell it was the British Lionhearts who took a morale-boosting first away win and left USA Knockouts reeling.

The Lionhearts got off to a strong start with European Confederation Championship silver medallist Harvey Horn managing to jab his way past US National Olympic Trials champion Nico Hernandez. Horn dominated the opening exchanges of their light flyweight bout and Hernandez’ late rally wasn’t enough to sway the judges, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead.

It wasn’t long before the Knockouts had drawn level on the night, their 2014 Youth Olympic Games winner Shakur Stevenson putting in an incredible display on his WSB debut to defeat rival Peter McGrail. Unbeaten at Youth and Junior level, the 20 year-old American bantamweight’s confidence was running high, landing a series of left hooks and uppercuts for which McGrail could find no answer.

The third contest of the night between another US Olympic Trial champion, the light welterweight Gary Russell, and Lionhearts’ Pat McCormack was a gripping affair, with Russell looking by far the more composed in the opening rounds. In a spectacular turnaround, McCormack was able to frustrate his opponent’s attacking instincts and took the final three rounds, lifting his team into a 2-1 lead.

Again the US got back on level terms, with Troy Williamson winning his middleweight bout against Charles Conwell and setting up a nail-biting heavyweight decider between Knockouts’ top boxer Cam F. Awesome and Lionhearts’ newcomer Lawrence Okolie, who only put his gloves on for the first time in 2010.

Shakur Stevenson shines but British Lionhearts steal the show on WSB’s big night in Miami

Awesome looked to have adjusted well to his move down from super heavyweight and was too fast for WSB debutant Okolie in the first round but the young British talent grew in confidence as he stopped Awesome’s waves of attacks, and eventually his heavy-hitting style gave a sensational Technical Knockout win to the British Lionhearts.