Shakur Stevenson praised Artem Harutyunyan after the pair fought on Saturday night in Newark, New Jersey.
The WBC lightweight champion defeated the German by unanimous decision, but the challenger’s defensive style made it difficult to entertain the crowd.
Stevenson has not impressed at 135lbs in the way he did in a dominant era at junior lightweight, but he remains unbeaten and is one of the more technically adept fighters in the division.
Speaking in the ring after the bout, he praised his opponent for making life difficult.
"He's just trying to make sure he survives," Stevenson explained afterwards.
"He's a good fighter. He's tough. He's strong. I would've wanted him to try a little harder, so that way it could be a more fun fight.
"I have to cut off the ring a bit more. He'd go one way and then go the other way, so I got to go back in the gym and work on cutting off the ring."
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