Shakur Stevenson Desperate To Fight William Zepeda
Shakur Stevenson is looking forward to fighting William Zepeda at some point in the future.
Shakur, the WBC Lightweight Champion, was set to box Joe Cordina on October 12. This was going to take place on the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dimitry Bivol card. However, Stevenson had to pull out after a hand injury during sparring. The boxer subsequently underwent surgery with the aim of returning early next year. It was a massive blow since this would have been his first fight with Matchroom Boxing after having signed a two-fight deal.
The plan was to face Cordina, and a victory would have then secured a bout against Zepeda next year. The WBC had ordered Shakur to face Zepeda. A win over Zepeda would have increased the narrative to make the Gervonta Davis fight in a massive unification. Following news of the injury, Stevenson revealed he wanted to face Zepeda on his return. This is a massive risk, especially given that Zepeda is a knockout artist.
Shakur showed in his last two performances that he struggles against opponents who can take his power and attempt to walk him down. The win against Edwin De La Santos was heavily criticized because Shakur was fighting on the back foot. De la Santos failed to cut the ring off, making it a poor spectacle as Stevenson fought his way to a unanimous decision.
Shakur On Zepeda
In his previous fight against Artem Harutyunyan, Shakur was also jeered, and some fans left before the final round. Stevenson was dominating the fight, but he struggled to get his man out of the ring. He later revealed that he injured both hands in the Artem fight, meaning that surgery is likely the best option to rectify the issue. Once he is fully back, Stevenson is looking forward to potentially facing Zepeda.
Nevertheless, there is no rush to take that fight. Shakur could take a tune-up in between to test his hands before he faces the Mexican fighter. A fight with Cordina could still play out if the Brit is willing to wait. The injury would most likely increase his chances of getting a win over Shakur.
Shakur’s Options
Stevenson will likely be a little wary on his return to avoid aggravating the hand injury. Meanwhile, Cordina will have extra time to prepare for Stevenson. He was already at a disadvantage by moving up from 130 pounds. He was also coming off the first loss of his career, which saw him lose his IBF title at 130.
But if the Cordina fight is not made, there are other options available. Shakur could take the De Los Santos rematch. He faced calls to run things back after claiming that his hand problem had hampered him during the fight. De La Santos had also shown that he was capable of troubling Stevenson. Regardless, it is vital that Stevenson comes back healthy, allowing him to put in a good performance and remind the boxing world that he is one of the best fighters.
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