Shakur vs Zepeda & Morrell vs Khataev Fight Analysis
By Ralph Rimpell
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 10 Jul 2025
This upcoming Saturday in Queens, New York, WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson (23-0, 11 KOs) defends his title against undefeated mandatory challenger William Zepeda (33-0, 27 KOs) in a highly anticipated matchup. The winner of this contest can undoubtedly look forward to a "Big Fight" against the victor of the scheduled Gervonta "Tank" Davis vs. Lamont Roach rematch, reportedly set for August 16, 2025, in Las Vegas.
What does Zepeda need to do on Saturday night to secure a victory against the notoriously slick boxer, Shakur Stevenson? Zepeda is clearly the harder puncher in this upcoming contest, boasting 27 knockouts to Shakur’s total of 23 professional fights. Reports (if true) suggest that Shakur intends to stand and trade punches with Zepeda, which, if it actually happens, would be excellent for Zepeda. It would then become a matter of time, or rounds, before Zepeda’s power punches find their target – Shakur’s chin – potentially sending him home to lament not fighting a smarter fight. If Shakur gets a taste of Zepeda’s power early and decides to revert to boxing, Zepeda must relentlessly cut off the ring to corner his elusive target. Shakur appears to have the advantage in speed over Zepeda. Therefore, when Shakur opts to box, Zepeda must meticulously time Stevenson's movements, catching him as he weaves in and out, hoping to land a big shot after wearing Shakur down with constant pressure. Zepeda also needs to get into Shakur’s head mentally as the rounds tick by, instilling a belief that he's superior in order to score the knockout. Crucially, Zepeda must maintain pressure on Shakur from the opening bell, never allowing him to establish his rhythm for all 12 rounds. To achieve this, Zepeda must be in the best shape of his life!
Now, what does Shakur need to do to defeat Zepeda? Shakur needs to be Shakur, not Mike Tyson of the 1980s. In the timeless words of the late, great trainer George Benton, "Win this fight, look good in the next one." Benton would use this mantra to motivate his fighters facing tough opponents, urging them to utilize their inherent strengths to secure victory, even if it meant sacrificing aesthetic appeal in the process. A win is a win, plain and simple. Shakur is a boxer in the mold of the late, great Pernell "Sweet Pea" Whitaker. If a knockout or technical knockout presented itself, Whitaker certainly seized the opportunity. Many of us true boxing fans can recall 1997, when Whitaker fought Diosbelys Hurtado. Whitaker was being outboxed for 10 rounds and was in grave danger of losing the fight by decision. Going into the final two rounds of the scheduled 12-round fight, his trainer, Ronnie Shields, famously told Whitaker, "You need a knockout to win the fight." Whitaker, taking Shields' words to heart, shockingly went out and knocked out Hurtado! But Whitaker did so out of necessity. Arguably, with Whitaker’s biggest payday looming in his very next fight against Oscar De La Hoya, he had to do something drastic, and he delivered.
There's chatter on social media that Shakur has stated he will knock out Zepeda. If the knockout opportunity genuinely presents itself, then Shakur should certainly pursue it. However, achieving a knockout against Zepeda should be accomplished through establishing a strong, stiff jab, throwing smart combinations, employing sound defense, utilizing excellent footwork, and effectively using the ring to move. Shakur must be first to land his punches. While Shakur must be prepared to fight when necessary, he absolutely must not stay in the pocket and go "toe to toe" (exchanging punch for punch) with Zepeda. If Shakur doesn't look spectacular while boxing Zepeda, that doesn't matter in the long run. What truly matters is that he wins the fight at the end of twelve rounds. The fighter who can best execute his game plan against his opponent will be the victor. This writer, however, feels that Shakur appears too distracted by the possibility of a fight with the "Tank" vs. Roach winner and by criticism from the media, which could likely affect his performance in this fight. This writer picks Zepeda by 9th-round knockout.
Morrell vs. Khataev Fight Analysis
On the undercard, former WBA Super Middleweight and Light Heavyweight champion David Morrell (11-1, 9 KOs) will face contender Imam Khataev (10-0, 9 KOs). Morrell looks to rebound from an exciting fight last February that he lost to WBC Light Heavyweight champion David Benavidez. Khataev, meanwhile, aims to regain the momentum he previously had from knocking out 9 of his prior opponents. Although Khataev won his last outing, he seemed to lose a little steam in his 10th professional fight when he went the full 10 rounds against Druval Palacios last March.
What does Khataev need to do to defeat Morrell? The blueprint was effectively provided by Benavidez. Khataev has to be the aggressor and throw punches with bad intentions. He must try to bait Morrell into standing "toe to toe" with him, forcing Morrell to abandon his likely plan of boxing. Khataev must maintain a high guard and utilize good defense because Morrell is a very hard puncher. Khataev’s punch output must consistently exceed Morrell’s, meaning he has to outwork him. Morrell possesses excellent footwork and will attempt to use it to evade Khataev’s heavy punches. Therefore, Khataev must not solely focus on headhunting but should throw impactful punches to Morrell’s body in order to slow down and wear out the faster fighter. Khataev must impose his will on Morrell to win this bout.
What does Morrell need to do to defeat Khataev? Morrell must approach this fight as a boxer first and a puncher second. He needs to establish a strong jab and utilize his superior footwork effectively. He must build up points with combinations and avoid taking careless chances by trying to knock Khataev out if the opportunity isn't clearly there. Rumor has it that Khataev possesses a very sturdy chin, so Morrell may not be able to achieve a knockout. Morrell must be prepared to go the full distance and be content with securing a decision victory. This writer picks Morrell by decision victory.
In addition to the highly anticipated Shakur vs. Zepeda main event, the Morrell vs. Khataev fight appears to be a real treat for boxing fans!
(Developing Story – As of the writing of this story, other news outlets report that the Morrell vs. Khataev bout may be in jeopardy due to a reported failed Performance Enhancing Drug (PED) test. The International Testing Agency (ITA) states that Khataev’s drug test from April 9, 2024, revealed he tested positive for Clomifene, a PED, and he was declared ineligible to compete "June 25 until June 25, 2027." Clomifene helps athletes increase testosterone levels, providing them with an unfair advantage in competition. The irony of this positive test is that Khataev has reportedly fought four times despite the ITA’s ruling. Therefore, it can be inferred that there was a lack of transparency when the match against Morrell was proposed and eventually signed. However, it remains uncertain whether Khataev will be allowed to participate now that this information has come to light just four days before the bout. Ultimately, the New York State Athletic Commission will decide if Khataev will be allowed to face Morrell. (Source: www.boxingscene.com/articles/imam-khataevs-adverse-finding-jeopardizes-saturday-fight-versus-david-morrell))
Boxing Notes
Reports from Podcaster Fannon, Turki Al-Sheikh is looking to stage Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (67-2-2,39KOs) and David “Mexican Monster” (30-0, 24KOs) sometime after fighting Terrance “Bud” Crawford (41-0,31KOs). Canelo is reportedly finally considering fighting Benavidez. Benavidez is currently fighting in the 175lbs division and Canelo campaigns in the 168lbs. Benavidez is reportedly willing to fight at 168lbs division. The first issue here is this Writer believes Crawford will defeat Canelo. If he does, Canelo will likely want a rematch with Crawford which would delay a potential Canleo vs Benavidez. If Canelo does agree to fight Benavidez would there be a rehydration clause? Would the weigh in be on the day of the fight? Where would the fight be held? In Las Vegas? Saudi Arabia? Canelo previously has said he wants $200 million for a Benavidez fight. Will he be granted that amount of money? Let’s see the outcome of the Canelo vs Crawford fight before we talk about Canelo vs Benavidez.
Contact Writer: RLuvsboxing@aol.com
***Ralph Rimpell is a writer based out of New York and is a Boxing Correspondent for Philboxing.com. Ralph holds an undergraduate degree from City University of New York. He has been a Boxing Writer for over ten years having written for several top boxing websites on the World Wide Web. Before becoming a writer, Ralph's passion was for professional wrestling until he realized professional wrestling was entertainment and not a real sport. It was at that time the 1984 US Olympic team made up of future stars such as Evander Holyfield, Meldrick Taylor, Pernell Whitaker, etc. entered the professional ranks and signed with promotional outfit Main Events.It was also at that time a young exciting Heavyweight originally hailing from Brooklyn named Mike Tyson also turned professional and became the face of boxing. Young boxing fan Ralph just couldn't get enough of boxing as a large part of it was being broadcast on "free TV". As time went on, Ralph felt boxing writers were not being forthcoming with their boxing coverage, opinion pieces, interviews, etc. So Ralph decided to write an article and submitted it to a Boxing website thinking it would be deleted and ignored by the Editor. To Ralph's surprise his article was posted on their website and the readers embraced it. The rest is history.
"I thank God for the Internet because it has created opportunities for writers like myself who likely would not have been given an opportunity to write for print publications. I hope someday soon to expand my role in Boxing on different levels." -- Ralph Rimpell
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ralph Rimpell.
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