QUEBEC — Canadian boxer Adonis (Superman) Stevenson says he needs "just one punch" to defeat Oleksandr Gvozdyk, while the Ukrainian believes playing the long game will lead him to victory.
The two will fight for the WBC light heavyweight championship Saturday at the Videotron Centre. Stevenson comes into the fight as the champion, while Gvozdyk is the interim champion and the mandatory challenger for the title.
Stevenson (29-1-1, 24 KO), knows Gvozdyk (15-0-0, 12 KO), will be a tough opponent.
"When you go in the ring, anything can happen. He's hungry, he will want to go far in the boxing match," Stevenson said Thursday at a press conference promoting the fight. "But as the fight goes into the late rounds, he will become tired because I will be hitting him hard."
The 41-year-old Stevenson said will be going for the knockout, a strategy endorsed by trainer Sugar Hill Steward, nephew of the legendary Emanuel Steward.
"I love knockouts," said Steward. "No disrespect to the other fighters, but my late uncle always said, 'don't leave anything to the judges', so that is why Adonis will be going for the knockout."
Added Stevenson: "When he makes a mistake, I'll catch him with one punch, and that will be the end of it."
Stevenson's last fight took place May 19 in Toronto, when the bout ended in the champion's favour after a majority draw against Sweden's Badou Jack. It was Stevenson's ninth successful title defence since winning the belt against Chad Dawson in 2013.
"Things are different from Toronto now," Stevenson said. "I'm not sick this time."
Gvozdyk, a bronze medallist at the 2012 London Olympic games, will have Teddy Atlas, boxing analyst on ESPN for the last 21 years, in his corner.
"We have a plan, we understand what's in front of us," said Atlas. "We came up with a plan to disarm the bomb that Stevenson has."
Atlas also said that the champion's age is not a factor, as Stevenson's fights tend not to last long.
"He's like an old car that has been kept in a garage and just came out for short rides," Atlas said.
The 31-year old Ukrainian boxer spent the last eight weeks in California, training for this fight. He compared Stevenson's age to those of former boxers Bernard Hopkins and George Foreman. who enjoyed success in their late 40s and early 50s.
"It depends on how you maintain your living conditions; what you eat, how you train, so age is not a factor," Gvozdyk said.
Gvozdyk said his chances of winning get better as the fight gets longer.
"My height, and my patience are my advantages in this fight," he said. "It's my time, I had a great camp, I'm ready."
Meanwhile, Marie-Eve Dicaire will take her perfect record (13-0-0) in the ring against IBF female super welterweight champion Chris Namus of Uruguay.
Dicaire, 32, from Saint-Eustache, Que., won a unanimous decision over Mexico's Alejandra Ayala in July.
Namus (24-4-0, 8 KO) has not fought since October 2017.
Luc Lang, The Canadian Press