Can Shakur Stevenson Handle William Zepeda’s Firepower?

Shakur Stevenson says he’ll be “better than ever” when he returns to the ring in February to defend his WBC lightweight title against William Zepeda.

The New Jersey native Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) has much to prove because he’s not looked like the same fighter since moving up from the 130-lb division. In two of Shakur’s three fights since moving up to 135, he’s looked weak and skittish.

Stevenson has shown that he lacks the physical and mental armament to compete against fighters at 135. The many who witnessed Shakur’s fight against Edwin De Los Santos last year on November 16th saw that he doesn’t possess the tools to fight against the top-rung fighters at lightweight.

Is 135 All Wrong for Stevenson?

If Shakur gets obliterated by #1 William Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) on February 22, he must decide whether to disengage from the 135 and view it as a lost cause.

If Shakur returns to 130, he can pick up where he left off and dominate this weak division against fighters like Lamont Roach, O’Shaquie Foster, Anthony Cacace, and Emanuel Navarrete. Those types of fighters are right up Shakur’s alley, and he could dominate against them for many years.

What’s obvious to everyone is Shakur is lacking in these areas:

Power: The lack of power has been evident in Shakur’s fights against Edwin De Los Santos and Artem Harutyunyan.
Bravery under fire: Shakur is unwilling to stand in the pocket since moving up to lightweight. When Shakur fought at 126 and 130, he had no problems standing his ground, looking to trade with his opposition. At 135, he cannot do that because he’s afraid of getting clipped by the more powerful punchers in this weight class.
Bone structure: Shakur’s hands haven’t held up since moving up to 135. They broke down in his fight against De Los Santos and prevented him from making it through training camp for his canceled fight against Joe Cordina.

Zepeda will face veteran Tevin Farmer (33-6-1, 8 KOs) in a 10-round contest in the Latino Night event on November 16th at The Venue in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. This will be a practice fight for Zepeda to prepare him for the mobility that Shakur will use against him next February.

It will be interesting to see how Shakur reacts when Zepeda destroys Farmer, as many expect him to. Will Shakur have second thoughts about facing Zepeda? Although Shakur’s promoter, Eddie Hearn, wants him to fight Zepeda, he doesn’t have to. We can easily weasel out by telling Hearn that he wants a tuneup first against Cordina, and he’ll grant him his wish.