Boxing

Oscar De La Hoya Says Shakur Stevenson vs William Zepeda Fight Is On

Shakur Stevenson and William Zepeda will seemingly meet for Stevenson's WBC lightweight title later in 2025.
Nathaniel Marrero|
Shakur Stevenson criticizes Gervonta Davis for avoiding possible matches with top boxers in the division
Shakur Stevenson criticizes Gervonta Davis for avoiding possible matches with top boxers in the division

Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda now appears to be all but official.

Oscar De La Hoya, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions and promoter for Zepeda, said Stevenson vs. Zepeda is on in a post on X.

Zepeda is the mandatory challenger to Stevenson's WBC lightweight title, and the two parties have until May 6 to reach a deal before the fight goes to a purse bid, though, De La Hoya's post and Stevenson's response gives optimism that it won't reach that point.

The Ring later reported on Thursday evening that the fight will take place on July 12 in New York City to celebrate the launch of the magazine's new show, Inside The Ring. A potential bout in New York will be somewhat of a homecoming for Stevenson, who is from nearby Newark, NJ. Stevenson has fought in Newark in three of his last five fights and three times at Madison Square Garden when he was a rising prospect with Top Rank.

Zepeda (33-0, 27 KOs) is the interim WBC lightweight champion, winning the belt in his first fight against Tevin Farmer by split decision on Nov. 16. Zepeda defended his title for the first time in a rematch against Farmer on March 29, as he won by majority decision in Cancun.

Stevenson (23-0, 11 KOs) last defended his title on Feb. 22 when he stopped late-replacement Josh Padley in the ninth round after dropping him three times with body shots. Stevenson was originally scheduled to face Floyd Schofield Jr. before he withdrew from the bout during the week of the fight due to an illness.

For Stevenson, his supreme skill set and defense make him a pound-for-pound type of talent. Unfortunately, his style hasn't done much to captivate a majority of boxing fans, especially of late.

The jury is still out on Zepeda after the difficulty Farmer gave him in both fights. Farmer boasting a similar style has shifted the odds even more in Stevenson's favor compared to if he and Zepeda fought in late 2024.

MORE: Shakur Stevenson Apologizes To Turki Alalshikh On Social Media

Given the stakes and both Stevenson and Zepeda having something to prove, that will likely bring the best out of both fighters. And with the contrast in styles with Stevenson's pristine defense and counterpunching compared to the relentless pressure and volume of Zepeda, Stevenson vs. Zepeda promises to be an intriguing clash.

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Nathaniel Marrero
NATHANIEL MARRERO

Nathaniel Marrero is a writer for the Boxing, Pittsburgh Pirates and Baltimore Ravens On SI sites. He's also written for the Orlando Sentinel and MLB.com, and was a part of UCF's sports show, Hitting The Field. He attended UCF and graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism in 2023. Twitter/X: Nate_Marrero

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