Shakur Stevenson might have to take a tuneup earlier than defending his WBC light-weight title towards #1 rated challenger William Zepeda.
These two have been talked about probably combating on February twenty second in Riyadh, however Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) is coming off hand surgical procedure, and it might be a tricky combat for him to leap straight into what can be a grueling protection towards Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs).
Promoter Eddie Hearn needs to maintain Shakur unbeaten lengthy sufficient to get the profitable combat towards Gervonta Davis, however it might be an act of incompetence if he had been to permit him to combat Zepeda and not using a tune-up. Even Shakur would agree with that.
Shakur has talked boldly on X about how he’s going to simply deal with Zepeda, however he is aware of what he can be up towards if he took this combat even when 100% wholesome. To tackle a fighter that cuts off the ring and assaults the physique like Zepeda, Shakur will should be at his greatest.
Zepeda man is nothing just like the fighters Shakur has padded his file with since turning professional in 2017, and he wouldn’t be capable to maintain him off with jabs and motion as he did towards fighters at 130 and 126.
“It’s already considerably within the works. So, I do see this combat taking place. I feel Shakur takes Zepeda aside,” stated Chris Algieri to Probox TV, predicting a straightforward victory for WBC light-weight champion Shakur Stevenson over William Zepeda on February twenty second if the 2 meet then.
Shakur-Zepeda has been talked about for the final couple of months, and Shakur’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, needs it to occur in February as a result of he wants this win to place himself for a unification combat towards WBA light-weight champion Gervonta Davis in the summertime of 2025.
“A mode like Zepeda, and he’s very spectacular, throws a ton of punches. He can punch, he’s sturdy, he can come ahead, and he has a lot sneakier protection than he exhibits. However when you have got a grasp of protection the way in which Shakur is, the way in which he’s capable of hold that jab in your face and make you miss by an inch after which counter-punch you.
Since transferring as much as 135, Shakur has fought just one good fighter, Edwin De Los Santos and his victory towards him was questionable because of the lack of offense. Shakur was actually operating from De Los Santos and being booed like mad by the followers on the T-Cell Area in Las Vegas.
The judges gave Shakur the choice to win, however it was a doubtful victory. His excuse after the combat about having accidents didn’t take properly with the followers, who’d seen him combat the identical approach towards the stress fighters Jeremiah Nakathilia and Joet Gonzalez.
“He’s capable of sluggish the tempo down, analyze and accumulate knowledge all night time lengthy; I don’t see Zepeda with the ability to overcome that management of distance and that means to keep up vary,” stated Algieri, persevering with to reward the finesse-level fighter, Shakur. “For me, that’s undoubtedly a Shakur combat, however hear, this can be a combat we’re in all probability going to see.”
Shakur clearly isn’t nearly as good of a fighter as the image that Algieri paints of him. He was at his greatest at featherweight and tremendous featherweight, however he’s not proven the identical form of means since transferring as much as 135. He’s not fought an opponent that averages 100+ punches thrown per spherical like Zepeda, and he’s not needed to face somebody who cuts off the ring and assaults the physique the way in which he does.
“I don’t suppose it’s subsequent like everyone seems to be saying as a result of Shakur is coming off a hand damage/surgical procedure to go proper right into a combat with man like Zepeda, who’s going to return proper at you with a tough head. That’s in all probability not the most effective thought, and it’s in all probability not going to occur immediately. I do suppose we’re going to see this combat in 2025,” stated Algieri.
