Canada’s Stevenson to defend WBC light-heavyweight title against Bika

MONTREAL – Canada’s Adonis Stevenson will make the fifth defence of his World Boxing Council light heavyweight title against veteran Sakio Bika to kick off a new boxing series on U.S. television April 4 in Quebec City.

Stevenson (25-1) and Bika (32-6-3) will be the main event in a new series called Premier Championship Boxing on CBS. The co-feature has Montreal-based Artur Beterbiev (7-0) against former world champion Gabriel Campillo (25-6-1) of Spain.

The afternoon bout has Stevenson facing an Australian opponent who has made his career at super-middleweight. Bika held the WBC belt in 2013 before a loss in his last outing to American Anthony Durrell.

Bika’s losses have been to the top fighters in his weight class, including Joe Calzaghe, Andre Ward and, in a 2007 visit to Montreal, Lucian Bute.

Stevenson, of Laval, Que., is coming off a fifth-round stoppage of Dmitry Sukhotsky on Dec. 19 in Quebec City.

Beterbiev, a 30-year-old Russian being fast-tracked to title contention, has needed only 15 rounds to win his first seven pro bouts. The last was a second-round knockout of Jeff Page on Dec. 19. The 36-year-old Campillo is a former WBA champion.

The second CBS show is set for May 9 featuring former lightweight champ Omar Figueroa against Ricky Burns.