Stephan Shaw Improved To 12-0 With 4th Round TKO Of Willie Jake Jr.
Heavyweight prospect Stephan Shaw stopped Willie Jake Jr August 29 on a Broadway Boxing card at Foxwoods Resort
St. Louis’ undefeated Heavyweight prospect Stephan “Big Shot” Shaw dropped southpaw Willie Jake Jr in the first round of their matchup on last week’s Broadway Boxing card at Foxwoods Resort in Mashantucket, Connecticut. In the fourth round, the 26-year old finally tracked down Jake (8-3-1, 2 KOs) and unleashed a flurry of heavy body and head shots that forced referee Johnny Callas to step in to halt the bout at the :56 mark.
Shaw (12-0, 9 KOs) never quite landed the flush big shot that sent Columbus, Ohio fans into a frenzy at a special Midwestern version of DiBella Entertainment’s popular series back in March. In that highly contentious bout against veteran Donovan Dennis – a former opponent of contender Jarrell Miller – the poised 26-year old abruptly closed the show in the third round for the KO of the night among a showcase of DiBella-promoted Heavyweights.
In contrast to Dennis’ failed ‘stand your ground’ game plan, Jake attempted to stay on the move Thursday night, feinting while constantly mixing in a great deal of upper body movement to avoid Shaw’s big right hands. In fact, while along the ropes in an earlier round, Jake’s excessive movement carried him out the ring above the bottom rope. The Indianapolis native was unable to find a similar escape route in the fourth and final round.
The card streamed live on UFC Fight Pass, and presented Shaw with another opportunity to achieve his career goals by laying the foundation to transition from a fixture in undefeated WBC Heavyweight champion Deontay Wilder’s training camps to vying for his first title shot.
On Saturday, August 31, Shaw appeared on a Bite Down Boxing live stream on the Pay Me No Mind YouTube channel to discuss his latest victory. In addition to grading his performance, the husband and father of two young sons shared his thoughts on a bevy of interesting topics regarding family, life and boxing.
- 28:00 – Shaw’s growth after two years of being in camp with Deontay Wilder
- 36:00 – Overtaking Michigan Heavyweight Jermaine Franklin as the No. 1 U.S. Heavyweight prospect, and being offered a fight with rising contender Adam Kownacki
- 41:50 – The steadying influence of his wife and kids on his career
- 43:45 – Younger fighters chasing Floyd Mayweather’s flare but not his focus and attention to detail
- 46:15 – Wilder-Ortiz 2 and Wilder-Fury predictions
- 52:30 – Stepping into Andy Ruiz’ shoes after a life-changing win like the new unified champion’s upset of Anthony Joshua, as well as Shaw’s thoughts on the rematch’s winner
Header photo by R.L. Woodson/Bite Down Boxing
This article was originally published at roundbyroundboxing.com
