ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey – Isaiah Steen seemed to think taking Sena Agbeko’s flushest punches and consistently utilizing his jab was enough to win their 10-round fight Friday night.
All three judges disagreed with Steen and the previously unbeaten super middleweight prospect’s team.
They favored Agbeko’s aggression throughout their bout and his harder connections during their “ShoBox: The New Generation” main event at Bally’s Grand Ballroom. Judges Mark Consentino (97-93), Anthony Lundy (96-94) and Joseph Pasquale (98-92) all scored their fight for Agbeko, a Ghanian-born, Tennessee-based power puncher who took this fight on barely two weeks’ notice.
The win was career-changing for the 30-year-old Agbeko (27-2, 21 KOs), a Nashville resident who lost a 10-round unanimous decision to unbeaten Russian 168-pound contender Vladimir Shishkin in his last “ShoBox” main event in February 2021. Cleveland’s Steen suffered the first defeat of his career (16-1, 12 KOs) in what was his first fight in the 15 months since he out-pointed then-unbeaten Kalvin Henderson.
Their fight was competitive and Agbeko largely landed the harder punches, but Agbeko still pressed for a knockout in the 10th and final round to win. He caught Steen with a right hand that made him hold with about 1:15 on the clock in the 10th round and another flush right that initiated a clinch by Steen toward the end of the final round.
Agbeko’s aggression kept Steen on his back foot for most of the ninth round, when he tied up Agbeko several times. A right and then a left by Agbeko backed up Steen and made him hold about 1:15 into the ninth round.
Agbeko remained aggressive throughout the eighth round, but Steen tried to fend him off with his jab and took his power punches without incident. A right hand by Agbeko hit Steen as he moved toward the ropes early in the eighth round.
Steen countered Agbeko with an overhand right and moved out of his opponent’s punching range with 1:20 to go in the seventh round. Steen drilled Agbeko with a short right hand on the inside early in the seventh round.
Steen’s right hand landed to the side of Agebko’s head with just over 50 seconds on the clock in the sixth round, but Agbeko pressed forward. Agbeko caused Steen to hold him after he landed a right hand early in the sixth round.
Steen worked well off his jab during the fifth round and dealt well with Agbeko’s pressure during those three minutes.
Steen’s jab made Agbeko reset his feet with just over 30 seconds on the clock in the fourth round. A left-right combination by Agbeko landed with just over a minute to go in the fourth round and made Steen retreat.
A left-right combination by Agbeko got Steen’s attention and made him move away from his hard-hitting opponent five seconds before the third round ended. Steen’s stiff jab knocked Agbeko off balance 50 seconds into the third round.
Agbeko connected with a right hand on the inside with just over 30 seconds on the clock in the second round. A sweeping left hook by Agbeko landed early in the second round, when Steen tried to work off his jab and moved away from the stalking Agbeko.
A short right hand by Agbeko caught Steen as Steen bent forward toward the end of the first round. Steen tried to hold Agbeko after taking that punch and caused them to tumble to the canvas.
Agbeko caught Steen with a right hand about 55 seconds into the opening round as Steen backed toward the ropes.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.