The change to an 18-foot ring for the 12th map of July 12 created doubts among fans whether Shakur Stevenson would have enough space to escape William Zepeda’s 100+ strokes per round volume in their co-fight.
No escape for Shakur
Shakur’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, can’t be happy about switching from the standard 20-foot ring to a smaller 18 x 18. He signed him hoping to land the mega money fight against Gervonta Davis.
Hearn combined Stevenson against Josh Padley in his first fight with Matchroom to ensure he stays on the path to the tank fight. In a smaller ring against a punching machine such as Zepeda, Shakur is thrown into nature. He was not made for the battles that Zepeda brings.
WBC lightweight champion Shakur (23-0, 11 COs) is at his best in a 20-foot ring where he can avoid pressure from his opponents using his hit-and-run tactics. In a smaller 18 x 18 ring, it will force Shakur to get more involved and avoid his usual Tom and Jerry fights.
Zepeda is excellent for cutting off the ring, but his chances will fall against a mover like Stevenson in a 20-foot ring. We saw Shakur dive to escape from the pressure that Edwin de Los Santos put on him.
Turki’s entertainment goal
Turki Alalshikh wants the battles on July 12 Dazn ppv card to entertain. If you move it to a smaller ring, the runners like Shakur will force Zepeda (33-0, 27 COs) to stand and fight, which he may not be able to do without being beaten. In a limited space of an 18-foot ring, Stevenson will have no choice but to deal more with the Mexican knockout artist.
It was as if he was a rocket in space, as he jumped to shrink out of situations when he was trapped. It was not surprising that the crowd hurled him for his boring action all night.
Zepeda doubts Shakur’s “Balls”
Zepeda doubts that Shakur will deal with him as Tevin Farmer did in their two battles, saying that he does not have the ‘balls’ to fight aggressively. Even farmers moved a lot and held on to prevent Zepeda from being knocked out. The second fight was almost all moving and holding.
A 16 -feet ring would have been even better for the 12th event, because it would force Shakur to deal with Zepeda more to give fans a more entertaining battle. Even with an 18-foot foot, Stevenson may still have enough room to make it a dull battle for fans.
Last updated on 06/20/2025