Shakur Stevenson kept his WBC lightweight world title with a unanimous decision win over William Zepeda at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York. The Newark pugilist showed a more aggressive side, winning by wide margins on all three scorecards.
Stevenson, now 24-0, aimed to silence his critics by trading punches instead of relying on his usual defensive style. He dominated the fight against Zepeda, who came in with an impressive 82% knockout rate in his first 33 professional bouts.
After the fight, Stevenson said:
"I went in to prove a point. It wasn't the fight I wanted because I tried to trade punches and that's why I took more punishment than usual."
Despite taking more hits than usual, Stevenson was happy with his performance and the result. He added:
"Zepeda is one of the toughest opponents at 135 pounds. He pushed me to another level"
Ryan Garcia, a potential future opponent for Stevenson, reacted to the fight on social media. Garcia acknowledged Stevenson's performance but questioned the level of his opponent. He suggested Stevenson needs to face a fighter with real power to truly prove himself as a top-class boxer.
The fight has set up an interesting dynamic in the lightweight division. Stevenson continues to rise as an undefeated champion, while Garcia positions himself as a challenger.
Stevenson's more aggressive showing in this fight addressed some of the criticism he's faced about his style. It remains to be seen how this will impact future matchups, particularly a potential clash with Garcia.
