‘Best vs Best’ – Shakur Stevenson Turns Up the Heat on Rivals

On July 12 at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York, Shakur Stevenson retained his WBC lightweight title with an impressive unanimous decision win over William Zepeda. Following this dominant win on a historic card, Stevenson used the post-fight press conference to once again lay out exactly what he wants next in his career.

Shakur Stevenson Shines in Impressive Win Over Zepeda

Stevenson Passes His Biggest Test Yet

Zepeda began on the front foot, showcasing his high output, while Shakur was content to sit on the ropes and pick his punches impressively. The Mexican fighter landed some nice punches in the third, which excited the crowd in attendance, but Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs) looked largely untroubled, with many punches missing.

Stevenson enjoyed an impressive fifth round, landing eye-catching combinations and slowing his opponent down. Despite having his moments, Zepeda (33-1, 27 KOs) began to lose many of the exchanges, as Shakur showcased trademark speed and precision. It was ultimately a dominant showing from the Newark native, who retained his WBC lightweight title by a unanimous decision with scores of 118-109 x2 and 119-109.

Shakur Stevenson Wants the ‘Best vs Best’

In the post-fight press conference, Shakur discussed what he wanted to happen next: “Who’s next? I told y’all who I wanna fight (Gervonta Davis). I can’t keep saying the same thing. I already told y’all who I wanna fight.

“The best vs the best, that should be my next fight. Told y’all I’m a dog, I’m top-level, elite-level fighter, so let’s make boxing great again. Let’s put the best fighters in the ring with each other, let’s see who come out victorious.”

Regardless of who’s next for Stevenson, this was a clinical performance from the Newark native, who consistently made Zepeda miss while countering with sharp, accurate shots.

He also sat down on his punches more in this fight, which played a key role in slowing Zepeda down during several key moments. It was a pleasure to watch Shakur Stevenson in person and witness just how good he is.