Jamel Herring will defend his WBO junior lightweight world title against the undefeated Shakur Stevenson in the main of a Top Rank Boxing card in Atlanta, Georgia (Saturday, ESPN/ESPN+, 10:30 p.m. ET). Herring (23-2, 11 KOs) enters the ring on a seven-fight winning streak, making the fourth defense of his world title, and he's coming off of arguably the biggest win of his career -- a sixth round TKO victory over Carl Frampton in April.
Stevenson (16-0, 8 KOs), a former featherweight world champion, will be the favorite on Saturday. At 24 years old, he's 11 years younger than Herring, and his defensive prowess makes him one of the most promising young fighters in boxing today. However, Herring has made a habit of pulling off upsets in fights in which he's being overlooked.
So what should we expect in this title fight between 130-pound southpaws at very different points in their respective careers? ESPN boxing analyst and two-division world champion Timothy Bradley Jr. weighs in on the key factors that will shape the outcome of this clash between Herring and Stevenson.
Similarities between two left-handed fighters
Southpaws are not really used to fighting against other left-handed fighters, and it's something that they are going to have to adjust to. Herring and Stevenson are basically looking at themselves in the mirror, so to speak. When you're facing an orthodox fighter, for example, you know the right spots to aim for, where to hit.