WBC light-weight champion Shakur Stevenson says he’s going to point out followers that William Zepeda just isn’t on his stage for his or her proposed combat on February twenty second in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Zepeda nonetheless should win his 10-round combat towards the Shakur clone, Tevin Farmer (33-6-1, 8 KOs), this Saturday, November sixteenth, on the Latino Night time card at The Venue in Riyadh. Though the Zepeda-Farmer fighter seems to be the one being talked about probably the most of any combat within the occasion, they’ll be competing on the undercard.
In the primary occasion, WBA cruiserweight champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez faces WBO champ Chris Billiam-Smith in a unification, and within the co-feature bout are gentle welterweights Jose Ramirez and Arnold Barboza Jr. mixing it up.
Shakur may lose this combat to Zepeda, because the 27-year-old Newark, New Jersey native hasn’t proven the identical skill at 135 to dominate as he had at 126 and 130.
Zepeda Might Be Too Highly effective for Shakur
William Zepeda’s energy, excessive work price, and physique punching will make it troublesome for Shakur to win their combat with out getting fortunate on the scorecards.
Zepeda will clearly be trying to take the judges out of the equation to forestall winding up in the identical place that different fighters have going through the favored former Prime Rank fighter.
Stevenson lacks the facility to be a top-level fighter at light-weight, and he owes his WBC light-weight title to the judges who gave him a controversial resolution towards Edwin De Los Santos final yr on November sixteenth, 2023.
Stevenson-De Los Santos last punch stats
– Shakur: 80 of 444 punches thrown for 18%
– De Los Santos: 40 of 287 for 14%
Shakur’s fixed motion prevented exchanges, however De Los Santos landed tougher punches in each spherical. The Las Vegas followers at ringside for the combat on the T-Cell that night time had been livid, booing each fighters from the fourth spherical. When Shakur was interviewed contained in the ring after the combat, the group continued to boo him, making it clear that they felt that he was the one which made it a uninteresting combat.
It’s not simply Shakur’s lack of energy that would put him in hassle towards a rugged, high-volume physique puncher like Zepeda. In that combat, Shakur moved for 12 rounds, touchdown nearly nothing. It’s Shakur’s brittle arms. He ruptured a tendon in his proper hand whereas coaching for a combat towards Joe Cordina on October twelfth.
Shakur’s Brittle Arms
The combat was canceled as a result of Shakur wanted surgical procedure. On July sixth, he injured each arms throughout his title protection towards Artem Harutyunyan. Shakur received a 12-round unanimous resolution, however his punching energy was weak, and followers started leaving the Prudential Middle venue midway by the competition. ESPN confirmed followers heading to the exit.
The unbeaten Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs) just isn’t unaccustomed to going through opposition that followers really feel will beat him. So, he’s taking Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) as a private problem to point out that he’s not in his league and that he’s going to highschool him in a approach that can go away no doubts.
“I’m excited to carry out. I believe performing on the highest stage, on the stage that I really feel I ought to be acting at, issues probably the most. I’m going to go in and do what I acquired to do towards Zepeda,” stated Shakur Stevenson to Boxing Information about his proposed subsequent combat towards William Zepeda on February twenty second.
We haven’t seen Shakur carry out at a excessive stage since he moved as much as light-weight a yr in the past. That’s the issue. Since shifting as much as 135, Shakur has fought 3 times and regarded common in two of the three fights towards these fighters:
- Artur Harutyunyan: A going away current from Prime Rank. This was Shakur’s final combat together with his promoters earlier than changing into a free agent. So, he matched towards a weak puncher coming off a yr layoff and a loss to Frank Martin.
- Edwin De Los Santos: Questionable win for Shakur. On this combat, Shakur confirmed no willingness to face and interact with De Los Santos. Nearly each punch that was landed by Shakur noticed him sprint away to flee being hit again, and the Las Vegas crowd was not pleased watching this mouse-like type. Shakur resembled a porch pirate with the way in which he would land and run instantly. He didn’t belong in the primary occasion with that combating type.
- Shuichiro Yoshino: An obscure fringe-level fighter in Shakur’s debut at 135. It was fairly apparent why this man was chosen for Shakur’s first light-weight combat, as Prime Rank wasn’t going to take any possibilities with him within the new weight class. He’s already regarded unhealthy at tremendous featherweight towards Jeremiah Nakathilia and Robson Conceicao. These fights had been a purple flag that Shakur would have issues combating at light-weight.
“I believe he’s a very good fighter. He’s good at what he do, however he’s not on my stage,” Shakur continued about Zepeda. “I do know there’s ranges to boxing. You’ve acquired to have the ability to assume a sure approach, do a sure approach and as soon as he will get in there, he’ll notice what he ought to already know.
“I can’t look previous what’s in entrance of me proper now. What’s in entrance of me is Zepeda. Hopefully, he handles his enterprise subsequent week [against Tevin Farmer]. That’s all I’m fearful about. All I fear about what’s in entrance of me, after which I can go on to what’s subsequent after that,” stated Shakur.
