Promoter Eddie Hearn has confirmed that he has an agreement with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh for Matchroom fighter Shakur Stevenson to defend his WBC lightweight title against William Zepeda in early 2025 on February 22, as long as Zepeda wins his next fight on November 16 and agree to the offer.
Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) takes on Tevin Farmer on November 16 at Latino Night at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Zepeda’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, wants the fight with Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) as long as it is in a “small ring” to prevent Stevenson from running. Farmer is not expected to give Zepeda any problems in their fight.
In a small ring, there is a very real possibility that Zepeda will trap Shakur, hurt him and knock him out. This will leave Hearn with a damaged fighter with one fight remaining on his two-fight contract with his Matchroom Boxing company. Hearn may not want to extend Shakur’s contract when it ends.
Shakur agreed to a small ring
Shakur has agreed to that condition on social media, but we don’t know yet if he’ll agree to the fight being put in a 16-foot ring, which is the smallest allowed under the rules. On XShakur had this to say about agreeing to a small ring: “The ring size doesn’t matter to me.”
In a ring of that size, Shakur would have no escape of Zepeda, and he will have to fight against him. If Shakur doesn’t change his mind about fighting in a small ring, this fight is going to be an entertaining one for the fans. It will show if Stevenson can handle a volume puncher with power and a strong chin.
Shakur couldn’t use his pick-and-scat style. It will be physically impossible for Stevenson, 27, to escape the pressure of Zepeda in a small 16-foot boxing ring, which could end badly for him.
Stevenson will have to figure out how to handle the 100+ punches Zepeda threw per round because movement and throwing single pot shots won’t stop him.
Zepeda: Dangerous battle for Shakur
“It was ordered by the WBC. Obviously, we have an agreement with His Excellency for Shakur’s fight against Zepeda, provided Zepeda takes it, provided everything is in order. I believe you will see that fight in Riyadh,” said Eddie Hearn Boxing News about a potential fight between WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson and #1 contender William Zepeda for February 22, 2025.
“Shakur said, ‘Straight into that fight February 22nd.’ Who knows? But it will be a tremendous struggle. It’s a clash of styles. It’s a dangerous battle for Shakur to go straight back to after hand surgery, but this kid is special. He’s ready to show the world how great he is,” Hearn said.
Stevenson has never shown himself to be a “great” fighter in any of the divisions he has fought since turning professional in 2017. He is still in the proving phase of his career, just like Zepeda and many other fighters. Being a world champion in this era of boxing doesn’t mean much.
To be seen as a true champion, fighters like Shakur and others need wins over high-level opposition in 50-50 fights or ones where they are not the favorite. Shakur was the overwhelming favorite in his three-division world title fights, suggesting he was outmaneuvered.
“Listen, the guy’s already a three-weight world champion,” Hearn said when asked if Shakur might be making a mistake by rushing back from a hand injury straight into a dangerous fight against William Zepeda. “A bit of hand surgery – it’s not going to change the way he fights. It’s not going to change his ability. He can beat anyone in the world. So, let him go.”
Shakur’s world title victories in three divisions were examined:
– Edwin De Los Santos: WBC lightweight
– Jamel Herring: WBO super featherweight
– Joet Gonzalez: WBO featherweight
