Shakur Stevenson and William Zepeda go head-to-head for the WBC lightweight title
Triple champion Shakur Stevenson (23-0, 12KO) and undefeated challenger William Zepeda (33-0, 27KO) both put their unbeaten records on the line in a clash for the WBC lightweight title on Saturday, 12 July , 2025 in a Riyadh season event at the Louis Armstrong stadium in Queens, New York, live on DAZN.
The two boxers will fight on a stacked card as the co-main event under the Edgar Berlanga vs Hamzah Sheeraz WBC super-middleweight title eliminator.
Tale of the tape
Shakur Stevenson
WBO Feather, WBO/WBC Super‑Feather, WBC Lightweight Champion
Age: 28
Bouts: 23
Rounds: 166
KO ratio: 47.83%
Height: 5’8
Stance: Southpaw
Alias: Kur
From: Newark, USA
William Zepeda
WBC Interim Lightweight World Champion
Age: 28
Bouts: 33
Rounds: 160
KO Ratio: 81.82 %
Height: 5′9″ / 175 cm
Stance: Southpaw
Alias: Camaron (Shrimp)
From: San Mateo Atenco, Mexico
Shakur Stevenson: The champion is looking to put on a boxing masterclass
Stevenson has suffered with bad hands, recently undergoing ligament surgery in 2024, which has meant that in his bouts he has tried to preserve his injured tools resulting in him fighting a less offensive fight. This has left the US boxer open to heavy criticism from boxing fans for failing to excite.
However, after winning his last fight in the ninth round against Briton Josh Padley in convincing fashion, Stevenson showed that he can knock out his opponents inside of 12 rounds, silencing the boxing critics who have branded the US boxer as a ‘runner’ and complaining about his lacklustre performances.
The US boxer has been vocal about his plans to put on another entertaining performance and win in similar fashion in his upcoming bout against Zepeda.
He told DAZN: “He’s going to be tough and strong but I’m coming in there to whoop his a— I stand by that. I’m f—— him up”.
The champion said that he has been calling for a fight with William Zepeda for three years, which is added motivation for this title clash.
William Zepeda: Unbeaten prospect takes his first big step up
The Mexican holds an impressive knockout to win ratio with 30 wins and 26 KOs which is a sign that he has power that Stevenson must be cautious of when the two boxers meet. Despite his impressive fighting record, it lacks the notable names in the lightweight division so this fight will be a step up in competition for Zepeda.
The challenger, however, hasn’t shown any nerves leading into this bout. He has projected confidence and said the pressure is on Stevenson to put on a good performance and trade with him.
He told Ring Magazine: “He’s characterised for his punching and running but he claims he’s going to stand and trade with me. I think otherwise”.
He added: ‘Come Saturday night we will see the running Shakur”.
Key Factors
William Zepeda has a typical high guard Mexican style. He likes to come forward relentlessly, fight from mid to close range and trade a high volume of hooks and uppercuts, which can overwhelm his opponents.
The Mexican has an underrated power jab which he likes to leap in with to catch his opponents off guard. However, sometimes his jab leaves him open to be countered. This was evident in his last fight against Tevin Farmer who dropped Zepeda with a left-hand counter to a power jab. Despite the knockdown however, Zepeda rallied through and won the fight by split decision.
Stevenson, who is a more precise counter puncher than Tevin Farmer and all-around better boxer, will easily pick up on any opportunity to counterpunch, leaving Zepeda vulnerable to power punches that may cause the Mexican to become hesitant, taking away his volume punching. The US boxer has produced some of his best performances against Mexican boxers like Oscar Valdez and will be going into this fight confident he can put on another against Zepeda.
Betting Odds
1/9 Stevenson
15/2 Zepeda
22/1 Draw
Prediction for Shakur Stevenson vs William Zepeda
Shakur Stevenson is the betting favourite for a reason, he has faced better competition, proven himself at the highest level, and achieved much more in the sport as a three-weight world champion.
The US boxer’s hand problems may be the only factor that will help Zepeda’s chances of coming out victorious.
Top Tip: Shakur Stevenson KO in rounds 10-12