Curtis Stevens

 

Curtis Showtime Stevens versus Derrick Findley Fight Preview

By Robert Brizel, Real Combat Media Correspondent

*Photo Credit: Main Events

 New York, NY (March 20,2013)– On April 20, 2013, at Madison Square Garden, Curtis ‘Showtime’ Stevens of Brownsville, Brooklyn, New York, will fight the eight round middleweight bout against Derrick ‘Superman’ Findley of Gary, Indiana, which is the preliminary bout to the 12 round main event heavyweight bout between Steve ‘USS’ Cunningham of the United States and Tyson Fury of the United Kingdom.

 

Stevens, now 23–3, 17 knockouts, will have a tough time with Findley. Stevens is 6-3 in bouts lasting 8 rounds or more. Findley, now 20-9, 13 knockouts, is 2-6 in bouts lasting eight rounds or more, with those opponents accounting for 159 combined wins. Stevens stands 5’7″ to Findley’s 5’6″. Findley has boxed 150 professional rounds to Stevens’ 116 professional rounds.

 

Findley is a trialhorse journeyman at this point in the game, and his performance usually depends on how much time he has to prepare, and what sort of a training camp he participates in. Findley has fought a who’s who of today’s boxers against names including: J’Leon Love, Victor Polyakov, Elvin Ayala, Fernando Guerrero, Matt Korobov, Miguel Herandez, Michael Walker (twice), Andrzej Fonfara (win kayo 2, the current number nine BoxRec Light Heavyweight), Andre Dirrell and Andre Ward. The level of experience of Findley cannot be equaled by most fighters.

 

As recently as October 2012, Findley knocked out Ronald Hearns (the son of Thomas Hearns) in  the second round in Michigan.

 

Stevens is good technical fighter and a disciplined athlete. Since losing to Jesse Brinkley in a WBC USNBA United States middleweight title fight and IBF super middleweight eliminator in January 2010, Stevens knocked out both Romaro Johnson and Elvin Ayala in the first round, but did not get any good work in to shake off the ring rust.

 

Stevens has experience, is coming off some big wins and he can fight. This particular fight will require Stevens to put some rounds in and cut off the ring and patiently break Findley down, which is good because Stevens needs to get some rounds in. Stevens is sort of in a situation similar to the late WBO heavyweight champion Corrie Sanders when he fought Wladimir Klitschko in March 2003, Sanders having knocked his only two opponents out in the first and second round in the three years previous going into the fight with Wladimir, but winning nonetheless.

 

Stevens is a quality fighter who can win a quality technical fight. This reporter covered Stevens when he fought Don Mouton at Russo’s on the Bay in Howard Beach Brooklyn in April 2009. Stevens fought an inside war with Mouton, winning rounds as the busier fighter, and putting on enough offensive heat that Mouton was forced to be more on the defensive and hold a lot to survive the eight rounder.

 

Stevens has to stay very busy in this fight. Stevens has to come on strong from the opening bell and set the tempo of the fight and force Findley onto the defensive. Unlike the previous two opponents, Findley won’t go in the first round, though Stevens will try. Stevens has to go to work in rounds two through eight, and land his right-left combinations consistently and get Findley to drop his hands, so Stevens can score a later round stoppage.

 

Derrick Findley, who lost a ten rounder to J’Leon Love in February 2013, won only one round on two judges scorecards, and none on the third judge’s scorecard. Findley may hang tough on experience, but will not have enough time to prepare for this bout. Findley will finds Stevens a tougher opponent to try to grab and hold on, and his defenses will not be able to shake Stevens frequent combinations, flurries, and power shots which will eventually do damage. Findley will learn as the fight progresses that is does not pay to go toe-to-toe with Stevens and pay the price. Findley’s best weapon, the head butt, is something Stevens should watch out for.

 

Stevens has a good left hook and should use it, getting his front left foot to the outside of Findley and trying to get closer with his power shots. If Stevens can land heavy power shots consistently, FIndley might not be able to take all of them, and this fight could end a lot sooner.

 

Prediction: Curtis Stevens TKO 7 Derrick Findley

Ironically, none of Stevens 30 professional bouts or Derrick Findley’s 29 professional bouts has ever ended in the seventh round. Findley has been stopped only once, by southpaw Andre Dirrell in March 2009. The game plan to beat Findley has been established by other fighters, who have beaten Findley one way or another with their fight plan. The Stevens camp can best prepare their game plan by studying footage on Findley, and following with what has worked previously.

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