Shakur Stevenson Reveals Unexpected Opponent for February Return: "He's a Monster"

Shakur Stevenson plans to get back in the ring next February against William Zepeda. The WBC lightweight champ had to take a break after hurting his hand during training.

Stevenson was supposed to defend his title against Joe Cordina on October 12. But he injured his hand while sparring and had to pull out. Now, after surgery and a 7-month break, he's ready to take on a new challenge.

Zepeda, who's undefeated with 31 wins, is Stevenson's target. The Mexican fighter is known for throwing a lot of punches and is ranked number one by all four major boxing organizations at lightweight.

Stevenson isn't worried about Zepeda's reputation. He said:

"They claim Zepeda to be a punching machine they say he a monster, well I'm gonna dismantle him after a 7 month lay off and surgery… And all you people who think he's like that better have the same energy after the fight cause February he will take his first loss, that's my word and he only gonna be an example of what's to come!!"

The Newark native didn't stop there. He predicted how people will react after the fight:

"Then they gonna say he was trash, he was not that good, that's the future it's already predicted, See y'all 2025. Y'all ask for my best after I get these hands together, I promise the best version of myself."

Stevenson's last two fights didn't impress everyone. He won easily on points, but some fans wanted to see more action. Now, he's promising to show his best against Zepeda.

Before the potential showdown with Stevenson, Zepeda has another fight lined up. He'll face Tevin Farmer on November 16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

If Stevenson beats Zepeda, fans will likely want to see him take on Gervonta Davis next. The lightweight division is packed with talent, so there's no shortage of exciting matchups for the future.