Rising middleweight power puncher Curtis “Showtime” Stevens, 23-3, 17 KOs, is raring to go for his next outing, an 8-rounder against Derrick Findley, 20-9, 13 KOs, scheduled for Saturday afternoon, April 20th, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. The fight will be part of a nationally televised NBC afternoon broadcast topped by the Tyson Fury vs. Steve Cunningham heavyweight elimination bout. The broadcast, which is part of the NBC Fight Night series, will begin at 4PM ET.
Stevens has been fighting as a pro since 2004, but it is his last two bouts that have started attracting serious attention. In January, he disposed of the usually durable Elvin Ayala in less than one round to win the vacant NABF middleweight title. That highlight-reel KO was his second straight first-round stoppage, and the Brooklyn native is looking to add another knockout to his collection.
“I don’t get paid for overtime,” Stevens said about his upcoming fight. “I go rounds in the gym, not in the ring.”
Certainly Stevens has been on a real tear after a layoff stalled his promising career. But now that he’s fighting regularly and has trimmed down to the middleweight division, the New Yorker looks like he could be a real player among the top fighters in the world.
In Findley, Stevens will be up against a sturdy opponent who’s never been knocked out and who is always looking for a fight.
“He looks to knock you out, and that’s what I do too,” Findley said. “I’m pretty sure I won’t have to look for him, and he damn sure won’t have to look for me.”
If this is true, the fight figures to be explosive.
“He’s never been knocked out, but he’s never been hit by a guy like me before,” Stevens said.
With everyone watching, both live at the Garden and at home on TV, another strong showing by Stevens may start to open some important doors for him.
“This is a great opportunity to go out there and showcase my skills,” Stevens said. “In December (NBC’s last Saturday afternoon boxing event) four million people were watching, that’s incredible. I’m excited to be here in my hometown, at the Mecca (Madison Square Garden), and fighting on NBC. On April 20th, I’ll just do what I do best.”
