Karpency Set for Stevenson, Center Stage on PBC from Toronto

By Derek Gionta: Adah, Pennsylvania’s Tommy "Kryptonite" Karpency will get another crack at a world title Friday night against WBC light heavyweight champion Adonis "Superman" Stevenson, 26-1 (21), on the PBC card in Toronto, Ontario.

The fight will be aired on Spike TV from Stevenson’s home country of Canada at the Ricoh Coliseum.

For Karpency, who recently adopted the moniker "Kryptonite," it will be another shot at a major world title away from U.S. soil.

The 29 year old southpaw took on Nathan Cleverly, losing a shutout decision in Cardiff, Wales for the WBO crown back in 2012.

Some would ask, "What earned him the right to fight Stevenson for the title?"

Karpency, his team, and some loyal fans would defend that question by acknowledging the recent win over former WBC champ Chad Dawson last October. Whether Dawson, considered shot by many, was off of his game that night, or simply lost to a better man at the time in Karpency, the decision went Tommy’s way in a career-best win.

When discussing the young fighter’s best moments as a professional, he immediately said, "Definitely the win over Chad Dawson."

That win was a hard fought, close contest that many felt was up in the air as the judges’ tallies were counted. The fight took place in Dawson’s home state of Connecticut, where Karpency was obviously not brought in to win. Things didn’t go as planned for Dawson.

Another win later, and Karpency is once again brought back in to take center stage against the champ in his hometown in a fight of much larger magnitude than the Dawson fight. A close score is likely to stay in the champ’s favor. Many expect a knockout from Stevenson as they eagerly await a much anticipated yet grim showdown with Sergey Kovalev.

But for Karpency, a former Toughman fighter and registered nurse by trade, who is now 25-4-1 (14) as a pro, his sights are set on the sport’s biggest prize.

Trained by his father, Tommy Karpency Sr, and alongside his two brothers who also compete as professionals, Karpency is well aware of the task front of him.

"Stevenson is a great world champion. The losses were all positive experiences. Those fights made me the fighter I am today."

Karpency will ride the support of his wife Andrea, his team, and supporters as me makes the trip north with hopes of pulling off a major upset.

Whether fans, followers, or boxing insiders feel Tommy Karpency has any chance of defeating Stevenson, he’ll be primed and ready to capitalize off of a big win to pull off a major upset on the sport’s biggest stage.

September 10, 2015