Shakur Stevenson “Can’t Wait” Until William Zepeda Happens

Shakur Stevenson claims he is anxious and “can’t wait” until his planned fight against his No. 1 contender, William Zepeda, takes place in early 2025. Stevenson is talking boldly now as he recovers, but he might change his tune when he’s healthy.

The Eddie Hearn-promoted Shakur is now out of commission dealing with a hand issue. WBC lightweight champion Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) is on the shelf following right hand surgery due to a training injury that wiped out his title defense against Joe Cordina on Oct. 12 in Riyadh.

Shakur, 27, was supposed to headline the undercard portion of the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitri Bivol meeting to be on DAZN PPV. Stevenson needs a solid win to generate fan interest for a unification bout against WBA ‘ordinary’ lightweight champion Gervonta Davis.

Three-division world champion Stevenson’s last two fights have been awful against Artem Harutyunyan and Edwin De Los Santos. Both contests were booed loudly by the fans at ringside, and people on social media criticized him.

Surprisingly, Hearn still felt that Shakur was worth signing to his Matchroom promotional company. He spoke of turning himself into a “global superstar,” suggesting to some that he has no understanding of what American fans consider entertainment.

Shakur’s brawl is consistently passed for entertainment in the UK, but not in the US. Americans are not interested in that archaic Mayweather-esque style.

Zepeda has a busy fight against former super featherweight world champion Tevin Farmer on November 16 at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

After that fight, Zepeda will be ready to challenge Shakur for his WBC title if he can make it through training camp without suffering another injury layoff.

If Stevenson goes through with the fight with Zepeda, it could end badly for him as the Mexican power puncher has the power and talent he is not equipped to handle.

Shakur hasn’t looked good since moving up to the 135-lb division in 2023, and his injury woes make him a sick bay commando. Last November, Stevenson blamed his poor performance against Edwin De Los Santos on being injured.

Nobody believed Shakur because that’s how he always fought. However, if Shakur was indeed injured in the De Los Santos fight, it shows that he is not physically capable of fighting at 135 without falling apart.

His injuries indicate that Stevenson’s body cannot handle the rigors of the lightweight division, where the fighters are much stronger and more rugged than the fighters at 126 and 130. If Shakur returns from where he came at super featherweight, he might get well again.

Yooooo I swear I can’t wait until fight day https://t.co/71EOHDKNEc

— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) September 22, 2024