We are days away from Shakur Stevenson versus Edwin De Los Santos.
The bout will decide the next WBC lightweight world champion as this is for the vacant world title.
In preparation for the Thursday night bout on ESPN, Blood, Sweat and Tears, a documentary that follows both fighters was recently released to create excitement for Stevenson’s attempt to become a three-division world champion.
We start with Stevenson riding in a race car as the fight takes place during the F1 race week in Las Vegas, Nevada. Stevenson also took expectation that he had to ride in a 'cop car'. It hit the classic tropes of someone not used to going fast in a car screaming and trying to be on IG live while experiencing life. Stevenson is then shown in the gym in which he states that he is no longer a fighter who ‘runs around’ and is standing in front of his opponents.
“If you pay attention to my last four fights I was standing right in front of all them dudes,” said Stevenson in the feature.
We switch to Stroudsburg, PA, the site of De Los Santos’ camp as Chelo Betancourt, De Los Santos’ coach explains the peace of training there. The segment builds on their relationship as well as the come-from-behind knockout win De Los Santos had over Jose Valenzuela. Bentancourt moved to the rural town as a place to get away but now has relocated to this peaceful oasis.
We flip back to Stevenson, who is training at an unmarked gym as he remarks the following.
“They all know that I am the truth,” said Stevenson. “True fighter takes his craft serious.”
Stevenson is then shown visiting a local school to motivate the youth, this is also followed by Stevenson doing mobility work to improve his flexibility.
De Los Santos is shown on FaceTime talking to his son who is not with him in camp, but is one of his biggest motivations. The theme of the final De Los Santos segment is sacrifice as he is shown doing various workouts. De Los Santos and his coach belittle a previous Stevenson opponent while watching film and in a humorous exchange that ends with them turning off the television before the fight is over. Bettancourt holds mitts for De Los Santos and has to take a break because De Los Santos is hitting 'that hard'.
The show concludes with a montage of both fighters training hard with narration about the upcoming fight, and their anticipation and motivations for the upcoming clash.
