If the World Boxing Council has its way, Shakur Stevenson has his next opponent in the queue.
Also Read: Shakur Stevenson’s next fight: 3 opponent options for the lightweight star’s return
On Monday, WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman announced the sanctioning body’s appointment of William Zepeda as the mandatory challenger via his X account. Sulaiman concluded the tweet by stating that he’s “very much looking forward to this great match.”
Boxing Scene’s Lance Pugmire reported that a purse bid is scheduled for Aug 20.
The announcement comes less than two weeks after Shakur Stevenson extended his undefeated record with a decision win over Artem Harutyunyan. The bout also concluded his seven-year contractual relationship with Top Rank.
That same evening Zepeda also saw action when he retained his own spotless record, scoring a third-round knockout against Giovanni Cabrera.
As far back as February, Golden Boy frontman Oscar De La Hoya who also promotes Zepeda, stated he would like to the pair meet in the ring. However, just days ago De La Hoya stated it would only happen if the Olympic silver medalist signed with Golden Boy.
De La Hoya reacted to the WBC joining the WBA, IBF, and WBO making “Camaron” the number one contender by stating that the 28-year-old is “so bad ass he has four sanctioning bodies to choose from.” He continued by saying that “nobody will tell him who he must fight next.”
Stevenson responded by quote tweeting the post with laughing emojis and an Instagram story that said, “Nobody wanna talk about how these dudes ducking in broad daylight.”
Is Zepeda the Fight That Shakur Stevenson Needs?
Despite his clear status as an elite talent, Stevenson has been the subject of scrutiny due to the nature of his wins. He secured the WBC crown in a record-setting level of inactivity against Edwin De Los Santos last November and watched fans in his hometown of Newark, New Jersey boo and exit the arena on July 6.
The reactions to his latest outing have led to an influx of criticism and subsequent verbal sparring matches against the likes of former champs Tim Bradley and Andre Berto as well Harlem rap legends Cam’ron and Mase among others.
Zepeda, who has earned stoppages in his last four appearances, just might be able to force Stevenson into action. The combination of high volume and aggression could force the defensively minded tactician into the firefight that fans are craving.
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