Shakur Stevenson responded strongly Saturday on the X social media platform regarding the effort to create an anticipated showdown with Mexico's unbeaten William Zepeda, contending that Saudi Arabia boxing financier Turki Alalshikh is seeking to short Stevenson’s originally promised purse when the sides first negotiated to make a fight last year.

The matter blew up Saturday afternoon when Zepeda promoter Oscar De La Hoya posted on X that “After all the shit talking, @ShakurStevenson pulls out of Zepeda fight.”

Stevenson quickly replied to De La Hoya with a series of laughing-to-tears emojis, writing, ‘‘Is that what they told you? Turki promised me a number and now he’s going way back on that number that he promised me and sending his Towel boys to run me the info instead [of] telling me straight up what [he’s trying to] do. [I don’t bow] down to nobody, Mr. De La Hoya, now let’s negotiate.”

An official close to the situation, unauthorized to speak publicly on the matter because of the sensitivity of talks, said Stevenson was offered a revised purse – $2 million less than the one he was offered last year to fight Zepeda.

The individual said the lowered figure was presented to Stevenson by Ishmael Hinson, a partner of the new company Hualapai Ventures, Inc., which is also working to recruit free-agent fighters for the coming TKO boxing organization headed by UFC CEO Dana White and funded by Alalshikh.

Stevenson, 27, is fiercely loyal to the managers who have directed his career since he won a silver medal for the US at the 2016 Summer Olympics, veteran boxing and music figure James Prince, and Josh Dubin.

Some close to the situation were astonished that anyone would try to circumvent Stevenson’s tight connection to the managers, especially the hardball-playing Prince.

WBC lightweight and three-division champion Stevenson, 23-0 (11 KOs), is coming off a February 22 ninth-round TKO of replacement opponent Josh Padley in Saudi Arabia, while Mexico’s WBC interim lightweight titleholder Zepeda, 33-0 (27 KOs), last week edged former junior lightweight titlist Tevin Farmer by majority decision.

“Crazy thing is, on my soul, I would cook dude [Zepeda] so badly, he’s a mismatch,” Stevenson posted on X. “I want this fight so bad that these dudes want to take advantage of me by giving me way less than I got for Padley just because they know how bad I want it!

“Oh yeah, and I’m not done negotiating [because] one thing ‘bout it, I’m the champ. So whether the fight gets done with these people or not, I’m stepping on dude … the [Zepeda] fight will be made next!!!!”

Minutes later, Stevenson posted, “Real men stand up, never bow down to nobody but the creator.”

Working to negotiate directly with the fighter – and low-balling him – when he has representation has miffed those close to Stevenson, an individual familiar with the situation told BoxingScene.

Stevenson re-posted an X comment stating, “Alalshikh is not giving [Stevenson] the offer he promised him.”

“All facts,” Stevenson replied. “@OscarDeLaHoya, keep your line open. Let’s make this fight happen.”

Stevenson added, “The fight is ordered by the WBC, I’m still champion and aren’t pulling out of anything. If we can’t reach a deal, then purse bids it is. See you soon.”

De La Hoya did not immediately return a message left him by BoxingScene.

Lance Pugmire is BoxingScene’s senior U.S. writer and an assistant producer for ProBox TV. Pugmire has covered boxing since the early 2000s, first at the Los Angeles Times and then at The Athletic and USA Today. He won the Boxing Writers’ Association of America’s Nat Fleischer Award in 2022 for career excellence.