Zepeda Wants Shakur Stevenson Rematch — And Shakur Admits Why

William Zepeda has thrown down an open invitation to Shakur Stevenson, and the odd part is Stevenson himself has practically endorsed the idea of the fight being competitive. The 29-year-old, now 25-0 with 11 knockouts, admits the Mexican pressure fighter gave him his stiffest night to date — even if the scorecards from their July 2025 meeting told a one-sided story.

Zepeda earned the leverage for this pitch last weekend, taking the vacant WBC lightweight strap via unanimous decision over Lamont Roach. That happens to be the belt Stevenson was stripped of after he moved up and outpointed Teofimo Lopez in January to claim the WBO 140lb title. Speaking to Fight Hub TV, Zepeda said he'd gladly run it back at either 135 or 140.

Why Stevenson Rates Him

Stevenson doesn't hand out compliments freely, so his framing of Zepeda is notable. He argued that nobody's coming close to beating him, and that the closest anyone will get is the guy who throws a million punches a round and never lets up. Styles make fights, and Zepeda's relentless volume is the one puzzle Stevenson concedes is genuinely awkward for a defensive southpaw who prefers to control range and tempo.

That victory over Lopez was arguably a career-best showing and made Stevenson a four-weight world champion. He's since inked a promotional deal with Dana White's Zuffa Boxing and expects to be back in the ring before year's end. The catch is that his most marketable dance partners are hard to reach.

The Matchmaking Problem

Look at the names Stevenson would want. Devin Haney (33-0, 15 KO) is the WBO welterweight champ and tied to different broadcast rails. Gary Antuanne Russell holds WBA super-lightweight gold at 19-1 with a 17-KO haul but sits in a separate promotional orbit. Gervonta Davis, 30-0-1 with 28 knockouts, drew with Roach and remains a logistical headache to book. Each is either aligned elsewhere, inactive, or chasing a different fight entirely.

That's what makes the Zepeda offer interesting on paper and lukewarm in reality. The Mexican showed real growth against Roach, but a convincing unanimous-decision loss to Stevenson barely twelve months ago has left little public hunger for a sequel. If Stevenson does drop back to 135, though, reclaiming the WBC belt from the man he already beat is a tidy piece of business — even if fans have seen the ending once already.