There’s hypothesis that WBC light-weight champion Shakur Stevenson will defend in opposition to William Zepeda on February twenty second in what promoter Eddie Hearn says would be the “greatest card but for Riyadh Season.” The Shakur-Zepeda struggle has but to be confirmed for this occasion, but it surely’s believed that is when it’ll occur.
Shakur is coming off of hand surgical procedure, which canceled his Matchroom debut in opposition to Joe Cordina for October twelfth. It’s hoped that Shakur doesn’t have a setback when he begins coaching for the Zepeda struggle. His palms could also be too brittle to remain wholesome as a result of he’s had the identical issues within the latest previous.
Hearn not too long ago signed Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) to a two-fight cope with Matchroom Boxing, and this would be the first struggle. The British promoter hopes to rework the 2016 Olympic silver medalist Shakur right into a “international famous person,” his imaginative and prescient is to defeat Zepeda in February after which Gervonta Davis mid-year in 2025.
Hearn doesn’t perceive why Shakur isn’t a famous person already, and he believes he’ll make that occur quickly together with his steering. Hearn doesn’t perceive that U.S. followers wish to be entertained and don’t take pleasure in watching fighters who don’t have interaction. That’s Shakur’s model. He’s a non-engager.
The Golden Boy-promoted #1 ranked Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) can be taking a 10-round tune-up struggle subsequent month in opposition to Tevin Farmer (33-6-1, 8 KOs) on November sixteenth on His Excellency Turki Alalshikh’s Latino Evening at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Farmer has a Shakur model to his recreation that can assist put together the strain fighter Zepeda for the motion that he’ll be seeing from him subsequent February.
“February twenty second, I feel, is the most effective card but for Riyadh Season,” mentioned promoter Eddie Hearn to His Excellency Turki Alalshikh on X.
“I hope so,” mentioned Turki.
If Stevenson vs. Zepeda fights on this card, it’ll be a superb one for the followers and unveil whether or not Shakur is the actual factor or only a pretend, like many followers imagine him to be. Zepeda might lower off the ring on the extremely cell Shakur, monitor him down, and bag him on this struggle.
Zepeda may damage Hearn’s desires of a Shakur-Tank struggle, knocking out Shakur on February twenty second and erasing any probability of the Newark native preventing Gervonta Davis.
Shakur was virtually crushed final November in his struggle in opposition to Edwin De Los Santos and was pressured to maneuver endlessly for 12 rounds to keep away from the highly effective punches.
The judges gave Shakur a call, but it surely was a struggle he had executed so little that it ought to have gone the opposite method. De Los Santos landed the tougher punches and was the aggressor all through. Shakur blamed his poor efficiency on being injured, however he fought the identical method in lots of his different fights within the execs and amateurs.
Shakur has been pining away for a struggle in opposition to Tank Davis since he turned professional in 2017, however his performances have been too lackluster for him to draw sufficient fan curiosity to create any strain from followers in a struggle between them. Shakur’s followers wish to see a struggle between him and Tank, however there’s not sufficient of them to power the match.
