Promoter Oscar De La Hoya confirmed today that the plans are for WBC interim lightweight champion William Zepeda to challenge Shakur Stevenson for the full belt later this year after he faces Tevin Farmer in a rematch this Saturday night, on March 29th in Cancun, Mexico.
Farmer Rematch
De La Hoya says Zepeda (32-0, 27 KOs) wants all the top guys after he deals with Farmer (33-7-1, 8 KOs) in their 12-round headliner, live on DAZN. Zepeda, 28, is going over old ground, fighting Farmer in a rematch to clear up the controversy over his ten-round split decision win in their previous fight on November 16th on Latino Night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Shakur has practically been begging for a fight against Zepeda, as he and his promoter, Eddie Hearn, feel that it’s a logical progression contest that leads to a unification fight against WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis.
“Shakur is one hard man to beat, but not impossible. His style is very difficult,” said Oscar de La Hoya to Fighthype when asked if William Zepeda could beat Shakur Stevenson. “Obviously, this [Josh] Padley guy he fought gave him a little bit of trouble here and there.
“Maybe Shakur got hit a little more than he expected to get hit because Padley came in gun’s blazing. Then Shakur had some problems with his hand. I saw him shake his right hand. Shakur is an amazing talent, but the plans are to fight Tevin Farmer in Cancun and then go after everybody.”
Shakur got hit more than usual because he was willing to stay in the pocket against Josh Padley because he knew he was facing a weak-punching British domestic-level replacement opponent.
Against this level of opponent, Stevenson was forced to stay in the pocket because if he had used his normal four-foot step-back approach, he would have never heard the end of the backlash. Shakur still looked bad against Padley because the fight showed that he had no power and could be hit when he was not running.
You can only imagine how poor Stevenson would have looked if he’d agreed to fight Cuban contender Jadier Herrera, one of the other options bypassed in favor of the soft pick Padley.
Road to Shakur
“These are the type of fights that Zepeda wants, the Shakur Stevenson—the very best. Today’s boxing is all about business, and I don’t like it and I hate it. A lot of fighters are out-pricing themselves, and the big fights aren’t taking place. I really feel that Shakur wants to be great, and he wants to fight the very best. I think the same thing about William Zepeda.
“That’s going to be a fight down the road this year that we’re going to see, and we’re going to make and it’s going to be a great fight. William is willing to face anybody. He’s in that moment in his career where he’s willing to face anybody,” said De La Hoya.
Boxing News 24 » De La Hoya: William Zepeda Eyes Shakur Stevenson Fight After Rematch Against Tevin Farmer in Cancun; “He Wants All the Top Guys”
Last Updated on 03/24/2025
