Shakur Stevenson is at a crossroads in his career. Heading into his second straight fight on a Riyadh Season card, Stevenson will get his first significant test of this phase of his career when he meets mandatory challenger William Zepeda on July 12 at Louis Armstrong Stadium in the Corona section of Queens, New York.
Stevenson, who will be making the third defense of his WBC lightweight title, was on the dais when Riyadh Season head Turki Alalshikh called in to Thursday’s press conference in New York to remind the public that a fight with Gervonta “Tank” Davis, which would likely be the most lucrative and high profile fight of Stevenson’s career, remains a target for the New Jersey native.
Even as big money flows into the sport from Saudi Arabia, making the impossible suddenly seem possible, Stevenson says there is only one southpaw lightweight he is focused on at the moment.
“Right now all that’s in my mind is July 12. Of course I want the Tank fight, I’ve been saying that for years but truthfully, if I don’t get past Zepeda, there is no Tank fight. Zepeda is first and I’m coming to stand on business,” said Stevenson, 23-0 (11 KOs), who is coming off a ninth-round stoppage of late replacement Josh Padley in February.
“Also know that I’m not sleeping on William Zepeda. This is a fighter in front of me that has been waiting on this opportunity his entire life. I knew Zepeda back when I was 15-16 years old and he was focused then. I understand that this is his moment too, so at the end of the day I gotta go lock in and I gotta step on him.”
Zepeda, 33-0 (27 KOs), of San Mateo Atenco, Mexico is coming into the fight off of two straight wins over Tevin Farmer - by split and majority decision, respectively - which earned him the WBC interim title and a nonstop ticket to the Stevenson fight. Zepeda, 28, acknowledged this is the moment that his 16-year journey in boxing has been leading to.
“I’ve always been a fighter that’s known to be very disciplined, very focused. This is not the exception. This is the biggest fight of my life, the greatest opportunity that I’ve had. I want to be known as a Mexican legend, but not only as a Mexican legend, but a legend in the sport of boxing. I look at this fight like a movie, almost like Meldrick Taylor vs. [Julio Cesar] Chavez, and I just want that type of fight,” said Zepeda.
Zepeda took the opportunity in this public venue to challenge Stevenson, a defensive wizard who fights as well in the pocket as he does at range, to stand at close quarters and trade punches to give the fans a fight reminiscent of the action in the first Chavez-Taylor fight in 1990.
“A lot of fighters that I fight think that I’m just a guy that just comes and throws punches until they’re in the ring with me. Shakur can say he’s gonna stand and fight with me, but he’s gonna have to go back to his plan and box at some time too, so we’re preparing for everything,” said Zepeda.
Stevenson didn’t bite, saying he’s focused more on putting all of the elements of his game together.
“It sounds like that’s what they want me to do so I’m coming there to put on a performance. I’m not focusing on doing one thing. I’m not focusing on standing there; I’m not focusing on boxing. I’m coming there to put on the best performance of my career and July 12 Zepeda is gonna remember my name,” said Stevenson.
“He can’t do nothing different. He can sit here and act like I got a plan B, plan C, Plan D, [but] he can’t do nothing different. He’s coming in there to throw as many punches as possible, overwhelm me, make me tired and try to bully me. I’m not gonna let that happen so I don’t believe that bullshit he’s talking.”
The Stevenson-Zepeda fight will essentially be the co-main event to the Edgar Berlanga vs. Hamzah Sheeraz fight, which will headline a card that will stream live on DAZN.