Promoter Eddie Hearn confirmed that he has a deal agreed with His Excellency Turki Alalshikh for Matchroom fighter Shakur Stevenson to defend his WBC lightweight title against William Zepeda in early 2025 on February 22nd, as long as Zepeda wins his next fight on November 16th and agrees to the offer.
Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) faces Tevin Farmer on November 16th on 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’s in a “small ring” to prevent Stevenson from running. Farmer isn’t expected to give Zepeda any problems in their fight.
In a small ring, there’s a very real possibility that Zepeda will trap Shakur, hurt him, and knock him out. That would leave Hearn with a tarnished fighter with one fight left on his two-fight contract with his Matchroom Boxing company. Hearn might not want to extend Shakur’s contract when it ends.
Shakur Has Agreed to a Small Ring
Shakur agreed to that condition on social media, but we don’t know yet whether he would agree to the fight being placed in a 16-foot ring, which is the smallest allowable under the rules. On X, Shakur said this about agreeing to a small ring: “The ring size does not matter to me.”
In a ring of that size, Shakur would have no escape from Zepeda, and he would have to fight 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’ll show whether Stevenson can handle a volume puncher with power and a strong chin.
Shakur couldn’t use his peck-and-scat style. It’ll be physically impossible for Stevenson, 27, to escape the pressure from Zepeda in a small 16-ft boxing ring, which could end badly for him.
Stevenson will need to figure out how to deal with the 100+ punches thrown per round by Zepeda, because movement and throwing single potshots won’t hold him off.
Zepeda: Dangerous Fight For Shakur
“It’s been ordered by the WBC. Obviously, we have an agreement with His Excellency for Shakur’s fight against Zepeda, provided Zepeda takes it, provided everything’s in order. I believe you’ll see that fight in Riyadh,” said Eddie Hearn to Boxing News about a potential fight between WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson and #1 contender William Zepeda for February 22nd, 2025.
“Shakur said, ‘Straight into that fight February 22nd.’ Who knows? But that would be a tremendous fight. It’s a clash of styles. It’s a dangerous fight for Shakur to go straight back into after the hand surgery, but this kid is special. He’s ready to show the world how great he is,” Hearn said.
Stevenson has never shown that he was a “great” fighter in any of the divisions he fought at since turning professional in 2017. He’s still in the proving stages 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 real champion, fighters like Shakur and others need victories over high-level opposition in 50-50 fights or ones where they’re not the favorite. Shakur was the overwhelming favorite in his three-division world title fights, which points to him being maneuvered.
“Listen, the guy is already a three-weight world champion,” said Hearn when asked if Shakur might be making a mistake 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 everybody in the world. So, let him go.”
Shakur’s three division world title wins examined:
– Edwin De Los Santos: WBC lightweight
– Jamel Herring: WBO super featherweight
– Joet Gonzalez: WBO featherweight
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