He’s no longer elite in the division IMO... For the most part against Jack (a fairly poor fight & a pretty weak way to defend your title incidentally) he looked a diminished fighter, cumbersome, ponder some, fleshy, flat footed, clubbing punches u can see a mile off.. Almost journeyman like.. His athleticism is fading fast & with that so will the explosiveness. I think he would lose to any of the current LHW title holders & Gvozdyk will pick him apart... I'd be scrambling to get that fight if I was Gvozdyk!! Shame we never got the big one versus Kovalev. Would have been historic that fight a few years ago... But pimps be pimping!!
At this point I think it's fairly clear Stevenson has no intention of ever facing someone at that level.
At this point I'm almost sure they will strip him in such a case. Even if he fakes an injury, I think the WBC will make him some sort of "champion in recess" and order Gvozdyk vs. the next available top contender for the vacant title.
Who Gvozdyk? He stopped Chilemba far more impressivelythan Kovalev or recently Bivol. He dominated Karpancy with little effort besides the lapse in concentration in round 1 I think it was. Gonzalez was totally out classes and again beat Mohameddi more impressive than SK. What more so far would you be expecting off him?
vs. Chilemba: that was a good fight; vs. Karpency: Tommy Karpency claimed that he had taken that fight literally on a two weeks notice and would have beaten Gvozdyk had he prepared more thoroughly. Well, Karpency is always full of excuses, but, still... vs. Gonzales: some time after that fight Gvozdyk himself said that it was a mistake how he fought Gonzales — he (Gvozdyk) was too heavy on his punches and, as a result, was completely out of breath after those three rounds (pay attention to the postfight interview in the ring — Gvozdyk was hardly able to talk). Because of this he fought his next fight (vs. Baker) more conservatively and more boring as a result; A knockout in the fight against Mehdi Amar? P.S. I am a Gvozdyk fan, but let's not overestimate him.
I don't think much of Gvozdyk, but he should beat a 40 year old man. Stevenson got knocked around pretty good in his last fight, and showed a ton of heart to finish.
