Shakur Stevenson Masterfully Tames William Zepeda to Retain WBC Lightweight Crown
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 13 Jul 2025
American boxing superstar Shakur Stevenson reaffirmed his status as one of the sport's most transcendent talents, delivering a masterful performance to outclass and outmaneuver Mexico's relentless "Raging Bull" William Zepeda. In a captivating 12-round championship bout at the Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York, Saturday night (Sunday in Manila) Stevenson retained his WBC lightweight title via a dominant unanimous decision.
The judges' scorecards unequivocally reflected Stevenson's control and brilliance: Glenn Feldman and Mike Fitzgerald both scored the fight 118-110, while Kevin Morgan saw it even wider at 119-109, all in favor of the undefeated southpaw from Newark, New Jersey.
The initial half of the fight was a testament to Zepeda's vaunted volume punching, as the Mexican challenger relentlessly pressed forward, unleashing numerous combinations. Many of these punches found their way through Stevenson's guard, making the early rounds fiercely competitive and exciting for the fans. Despite Zepeda's high output, the three judges still consistently awarded the majority of these rounds to Stevenson, a testament to his defensive prowess and the quality of his counter-punching.
However, as the fight progressed into the second half, Stevenson appeared to definitively "figure out" Zepeda. The highly intelligent champion began to potshot the Mexican challenger at will, showcasing his uncanny ability to land clean, accurate punches while simultaneously frustrating Zepeda. The relentless aggression that defined Zepeda's early attack found no clear path through Stevenson's impenetrable defensive posture and slick movement. The New Jersey-born phenom effectively neutralized Zepeda's power, dominating the remainder of the contest with a clinic in defensive boxing and strategic offense.
The CompuBox punch statistics further underscore Stevenson's surgical accuracy. He connected with an impressive 56% of his 358 thrown power punches, a remarkable figure against a high-volume opponent. In contrast, Zepeda, despite throwing a higher total of 501 power punches, landed only 31% of them, a clear indication of Stevenson's elusive defense.
With this dominant victory, Shakur Stevenson extends his pristine undefeated record to 24 wins, with 11 of those coming by way of stoppage. William Zepeda, who fought with courage and relentless effort, sustained the first defeat of his professional career, moving his record to 33-1-0 with 27 knockouts. This win solidifies Stevenson's reign at 135 pounds and sets the stage for even bigger challenges in what promises to be a legendary career.
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