Stephan Shaw maintained his position as one of the most promising American heavyweight prospects to keep an eye on heading into the new year.

“Big Shot” Shaw (14-0, 10 KO’s) never came close to landing the fight-finishing blow like he’d done ten times before as a pro, but he scored a definitive unanimous decision over Lyubomyr Pinchuk (12-2-1, 7 KO’s) as part of the Ring City USA undercard at the Wild Card Boxing Club in Los Angeles on Thursday.

Shaw scored the win by the scores of 80-72 across all three judges’ cards in the eight-round bout.

Pinchuk proved to be a sturdy and staunch opponent who never allowed an opening to be stopped by Shaw, who was having his way however he wanted.

The third round was particularly entertaining. Shaw’s give and take approach saw him both eating and delivering big-time shots. He got the better of the exchanges, wobbling Pinchuk with powerful punches.

The Pittsburgh-based Ukrainian walked back to the blue corner with a bruised and bloodied nose for his troubles. The fourth round was a little bit slower for Shaw, but he still scored some chopping shots as a helicopter hovered above in the skies.

Pinchuk showed some life in the sixth, connecting with a six-punch combination in his corner, but there was not much power behind it to get Shaw’s attention. Shaw resumed dictating the action and controlling the center of the ring soon after.

The Lou Dibella-promoted and David McWater-managed Shaw was the faster and more fearsome fighter, using his size and power to stave off Pinchuk throughout the fight. He picked up the pace in the eighth, with Pinchuk eating everything, but never really reeling.

The 28-year-old, St. Louis native Shaw has been a pro for seven years, and should be stepping up to a higher class of competition in 2021 as his journey through the ranks continues.

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, via email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or on www.ManoukAkopyan.com