Shakur Stevenson says he won’t run in his fight against William Zepeda on July 12 in New York City. WBC lightweight champion Stevenson (23-0, 11 KOs) responded to criticism this week that he won’t win the fight if he runs from Zepeda (33-0, 27 KOs). He seems to believe Zepeda is made to order for him, which is why he’s so eager to fight the Mexican knockout artist. Shakur hasn’t shown the same willingness to fight his #1 contender, Andy Cruz, or his “brother,” Keyshawn Davis.

Fans want Shakur to fight Zepeda rather than run all over creation like he did against the last decent opponent he faced two years ago, against Edwin De Los Santos in 2023. For Shakur not to run from the high-volume puncher Zepeda, he will get taken apart without four or five rounds. There’s no way he can match up against the Mexican puncher.

Stevenson was booed out of the T-Mobile Arena for running all night. His promoters have been careful to match him against exclusively low-level opposition ever since to avoid that happening again; hence, we’ve seen Shakur fight an electrician, Josh Padley, and a light-hitting Artem Harutyunyan coming off a loss and a year layoff.

What’s Wrong with Shakur?

• Boring fights: People dislike watching Shakur’s amateur style, which he still uses. He focuses on scoring points by hitting and then stepping back 3 to 5 feet to avoid exchanges. It’s always one punch at a time, followed by the step-back move. Fans see this as boring.
• Soft record: No significant wins. Stevenson selects opponents who aren’t a threat to beating him, and he can outbox them using his boring hit-and-not-get-hit fighting style. The best name on his record is Edwin De Los Santos, and he arguably lost to him. Although Stevenson beat Oscar Valdez, he was 100% washed when the fight happened.
• Braggard: On X, Shakur boasts about how great he is and how he’s the best fighter in boxing. He does all that bragging without ever fighting anyone good. Fans are annoyed with him, seeing him as a fake. He wants to be adored, but he does not have to earn it by fighting and beating the best.
• Pushing too hard for a cash-out: Stevenson has been hounding Gervonta Davis for a fight 24/7 since his arrival at lightweight in 2023. He just wants that payday without earning it by taking on his “brother,” Keyshawn Davis, Andy Cruz, Abdullah Mason, and Raymond Muratalla.

Won’t be no running July 12th u don’t know boxing if u think im a runner lol https://t.co/qLGaR2FVXr

— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) May 12, 2025