Shakur Stevenson Makes Confident Lamont Roach-William Zepeda Prediction

Shakur Stevenson already knows who he expects to win the vacant WBC lightweight title fight between Lamont Roach Jr. and William Zepeda on August 1.

While Stevenson currently reigns over the 140-pound division, he spent years as one of the most dominant lightweights on the planet. He was only forced to give up the WBC lightweight title when the sanctioning body stripped him of the belt over a champion fee dispute.

Stevenson's old belt is now up for grabs, with one of his former opponents, William Zepeda, facing Lamont Roach Jr. for the vacant strap. Roach opened as a modest 2-1 favorite, but Stevenson is expecting him to win by an even wider margin.

Shakur Stevenson predicts Roach vs Zepeda winner

"I got Roach over Zepeda ngl and I lowkey got it BTA," Stevenson tweeted.

Stevenson's "BTA" prediction refers to the common slang term "belt to a--," implying he sees Roach running away with the fight.

I got Roach over Zepeda ngl and I lowkey got it BTA
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) July 5, 2026

The 29-year-old pound-for-pound star moved up to 140 pounds in January to challenge then-WBO and The Ring junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez. He dominated all 12 rounds to improve to 25-0 and become a four-division champion.

Although he previously stated that he would return to 135 pounds after fighting Lopez, Stevenson now appears content with his new division, particularly with the WBC controversially stripping him of his former title. The New Jersey native recently teased a potential unification bout with WBA junior lightweight champion Gary Antuanne Russell.

Lamont Roach Jr. faces William Zepeda for WBC lightweight title

Despite neither currently holding a belt, Roach and Zepeda are two of the biggest stars in a lightweight division suddenly desperate for a leading pay-per-view draw. Stevenson will be far from the only person tuning in to their highly anticipated Aug. 1 clash.

Roach and Zepeda are both coming off undesirable results in recent high-profile title bouts. Zepeda suffered the first loss of his professional career to Stevenson in July 2025, in what ended up being the champion's final fight in the division.

Likewise, Roach moved up to 140 pounds to challenge WBC interim junior welterweight champion Isaac Cruz, whom he fought to a majority draw. The official score was Roach's second consecutive controversial draw, coming nine months after his hotly contested stalemate with Gervonta Davis.

Zepeda and Roach are respectively ranked No. 1 and No. 2 in the WBC's lightweight rankings. Interim champion Jadier Herrera likely awaits the winner at the end of the year.

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