Today, the WBC (World Boxing Council) ruled on the mandatory fight between current WBC Lightweight Champion and three-division world champion Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) and Mexican prospect William Zapada (31-0, 27 KOs). The WBC has demanded that both teams reach an agreement by August 20th, otherwise, there will be a public bidding on August 20th.
In the past two days, Oscar De La Hoya, William Zapada’s promoter, had stated that if Shakur Stevenson wanted to fight Zapada, he would have to sign with Golden Boy Promotions.
The WBC had previously ruled on Stevenson’s mandatory fights against Vasiliy Lomachenko (18-3, 12 KOs) and Isaac Cruz (26-2-1, 18 KOs), but both of them refused Stevenson, preferring instead to take other routes to compete for the world title.
At 27 years old, Shakur Stevenson currently has a professional record of 22 wins without a loss, with 10 of those wins coming by way of knockout. He is currently ranked No. 2 in the 135-pound division by BOXREC, second only to Gervonta Davis (30-0, 28 KOs). Stevenson’s fighting style is somewhat slick, combining technique, speed, and boxing IQ, but his approach isn’t explosive enough to draw significant box office numbers.
