Four-weight world champion Shakur Stevenson (25-0, 11 KOs) says he has already had his toughest fight, naming William Zepeda as that opponent.
Stevenson looked back at his July 2025 defense against William Zepeda as the moment he proved he was elite. Heading into the summer of 2025, Stevenson faced mounting criticism for his defensive, “safety-first” style. He chose to meet the pressure fighter, Zepeda, in the pocket. Zepeda entered the bout with an undefeated record and 27 knockouts, known for his high output. While he was pinned to the ropes on a few occasions, Shakur’s superior timing and head movement allowed him to land a 52% connect rate compared to Zepeda’s 28%. Stevenson cruised to a unanimous decision with scores of 118-110 (twice) and 119-109, handing the Mexican his first career defeat. Stevenson believes that was his toughest match-up.
“It ain’t going to happen [somebody having a close fight against me]. The most y’all ever going to get is Zepeda – that was y’all’s best hope and chance at getting resistance. His style, styles make fights. The style that would give me the most resistance would be the guy who throws a million punches a round, and doesn’t stop punching,” Stevenson said