Shakur Stevenson insists there’ll be no cat-and-mouse sequel when he meets interim titlist William Zepeda in Saturday’s WBC lightweight consolidation bout at Ring III in New York. “If you call me Jerry, then I’m whooping Tom’s ass,” the unbeaten southpaw declared at Tuesday’s Times Square arrivals, vowing “belt to mother------ ass” for fans who fear another footwork exhibition.
Turki Alalshikh, financier of the DAZN PPV card, has publicly banned “Tom-and-Jerry-type boxing,” after May’s lacklustre double-header. Stevenson, 28, has felt the backlash: clinical but tepid decision wins over Edwin De Los Santos and Artem Harutyunyan left supporters restless, and even his ninth-round stoppage of late-sub Josh Padley in February was viewed as overdue aggression.
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His opponent, the Mexican pressure machine, leads all active fighters in punches thrown (94) and landed (31) per round, a stark contrast to Stevenson’s measured sharpshooting. Matchmakers expect the responsibility on Zepeda to cut the ring and force exchanges, but Stevenson says he’s prepared to stand his ground: “This is my opportunity to show the fans who I really am. A lot of people think I’m not who I say I am.”
Beyond bragging rights, Saturday’s victor could emerge as the man to beat in a rapidly splintering lightweight landscape: Haney and Mason have left for other weight classes, Keyshawn Davis relinquished the WBO belt on the scales, and WBA champ Raymond Muratalla awaits his own mandatory. Stevenson insists the road to supremacy still runs through Newark. On fight night, he plans to prove that Jerry can punch as hard as he runs.
Get to know more about the upcoming Shakur-Zepeda fight.
Image Credit: Golden Boy