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Isaiah Steen’s first fight in 15 months will come against a more proven puncher than he originally agreed to fight Friday night in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Cleveland’s Steen (16-0, 12 KOs) will square off against Sena Agbeko (26-2, 21 KOs) in a 10-round main event that’ll headline a “ShoBox: The New Generation” telecast from Bally’s Grand Ballroom. Steen was supposed to encounter Elvis Figueroa (11-0, 7 KOs) in the eight-round co-feature, but the super middleweight prospect was moved into the main event when Russia’s Ali Izmailov (9-0, 6 KOs) contracted COVID-19 and withdrew from his 10-rounder with Bosnia and Herzegovina’s Radivoje “Hot Rod” Kalajdzic (27-2, 19 KOs).
The 26-year-old Steen hasn’t boxed since he beat Kalvin Henderson (15-2-1, 11 KOs) by unanimous decision in a “ShoBox” main event in July 2021 at Heartland Events Center in Grand Island, Nebraska.
“This is one of my biggest fights,” Steen said. “My layoff was just due to a lot of fights and shows not happening and opponents backing out, but I was always in the gym getting ready for the opportunity.”
The 30-year-old Agbeko, a native of Ghana who resides in Nashville, Tennessee, has won each of his three bouts by technical knockout since Russian super middleweight contender Vladimir Shishkin (13-0, 8 KOs) out-pointed him unanimously in February 2021 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Shishkin’s victory against Agbeko was broadcast as part of Showtime’s “ShoBox” series, too.
“I’m going to out-box him and use my speed,” Steen said. “I know he’s a power-puncher, but I’m going to shock the world.”
Agbeko thinks his experience and power will be too much for Steen, particularly in the later rounds of their bout.
“Isaiah has a little bit of everything,” Agbeko said. “He can box when he wants to and he can be an aggressive brawler when he wants to be. For me, my biggest advantage is the experience level. I feel like he hasn’t really fought that many high-caliber opponents. I’ve been around a long time. I’ve been through the mill, but I don’t think he’s been through the mill. When we get to the late rounds, we’ll see how he responds. I’m prepared for whatever.”
Agbeko’s only loss before Shishkin defeated him was a fourth-round TKO to Raymond Gatica (then 13-2) in February 2014. Shishkin and Steen are the only two undefeated fighters Agbeko has agreed to fight in the 8½ years since Gatica stopped him.
“I’m one of the best super middleweights in the world,” Agbeko said. “I just need the stage to prove it. I know a little bit about [Steen]. After I beat my last opponent, apparently Steen wanted to fight me. As fate would have it, his opponent fell through and he reached out and I said, ‘Let’s get it on.’ I imagine that Isaiah is right around the same level as my last opponent. I know he’s a young, hungry fighter, but I believe I’m hungrier. This is an opportunity for me and I’m ready to take it.”
Agbeko defeated Detroit’s Winfred Harris Jr. (22-2-1, 10 KOs) by ninth-round TKO in his last fight, which took place July 16 in Sioux City, Iowa.
The Steen-Agbeko bout will headline a “ShoBox” tripleheader scheduled to start at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Marquis Taylor (12-1-2, 1 KO), of Galena Park, Texas, and Detroit’s Marlon Harrington (8-0, 7 KOs) are set to square off in the co-feature, an eight-round junior middleweight match. The telecast will start with another eight-rounder between heavyweights Elvis Garcia (12-0, 9 KOs), of Xalisco, Mexico, and Moses Johnson (8-0-1, 7 KOs), of Huntington, New York.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.