Shakur Stevenson and William Zepeda might face off in the ring soon, but not in the way Stevenson first thought. The path to this fight has taken some unexpected turns, involving multiple offers and a bit of controversy.
Oscar de la Hoya kicked things off with an offer for Stevenson. The undefeated WBC lightweight champion from New Jersey didn't bite, as the purse was much smaller than what Turki Alalshikh had put on the table. Alalshikh, working under the Riyadh Season banner, offered Stevenson $500,000. But even that didn't cut it for the American fighter.
Things got messy when someone falsely claimed that Stevenson wanted 90% of the earnings. They even said prestigious boxing journalist Dan Rafael reported it. Rafael quickly shot that down.
"Lies. I didn't write or say that, so to hell with this account."
Enter Eddie Hearn, the Matchroom Boxing promoter. He's got a plan to bring the fight to DAZN. Hearn told reporters:
"Today I had a very positive conversation with Eric Gomez of Golden Boy. We will go to DAZN and say: 'Let's make Shakur Stevenson vs. Zepeda happen'"
Hearn's idea could work out well for everyone. It'll likely bring in more pay-per-view money and keep the cash flowing in the US. It's also a way to show Turki and Riyadh Season what they can do.
This fight between Stevenson, who last battled Josh Padley, and Zepeda is shaping up to be one of the best in the sport. With Hearn stepping in, it looks like fans might get to see it after all.
