William Zepeda probably didn’t think skipping out on that Shakur Stevenson fight back in February—citing a hand injury he sustained during the Tevin Farmer bout—would come back to bite him like this. But now? It’s do-or-die for Zepeda. The 28-year-old is now the interim WBC lightweight champ, which means one thing: he’s the mandatory challenger for Shakur Stevenson. And the WBC just made it official—they’ve ordered the Newark native to defend his belt against Zepeda. The clock’s ticking: both camps have 30 days to strike a deal, or else it heads to a purse bid on May 6. That’s pressure. That’s a spotlight.
Meanwhile, Shakur Stevenson’s been catching a lot of flak online. People are calling him out, saying he’s all defense and no power—throwing around that “pillow hands” insult like it’s candy. But don’t get it twisted. Shakur Stevenson’s been listening. And now? He’s firing back with some serious warnings for Zepeda.
Shakur Stevenson sends a 5-word warning
Earlier today, Shakur Stevenson took to X and sent a bone-chilling message straight at the undefeated knockout artist William Zepeda. His post read, “KEEP ADDING FUEL TO THE FIRE… ZEPEDA WILL PAY 4 IT!!” Now, whether you call it confidence or cold-blooded focus, one thing’s clear—the 27-year-old wants this fight. Desperately! And maybe, just maybe, this time he’s not planning to box his way to a decision… he might be looking to knock Zepeda’s lights out—like he did to Josh Padley in the ninth round. Sure, Padley wasn’t fully ready for that level, but let’s not pretend Shakur Stevenson is soft just because he’s slick.
Shakur Stevenson didn’t build a 23-0 (11 KO) record by accident. True, Zepeda’s record looks scarier on paper—33-0 with a crazy 27 knockouts. That’s a knockout ratio of 84.38%, which is downright dangerous. Meanwhile, Stevenson’s KO ratio sits at 47.83%—not eye-popping, but his real weapon is experience and ring IQ. Let’s talk facts: The Newark native has 67 bouts, which gives him an edge when it comes to poise and adaptability.
KEEP ADDING FUEL TO THE FIRE.. ZEPEDA WILL PAY 4 IT!!
— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) April 11, 2025
And remember earlier this year when Rolly Romero clowned the Newark southpaw for “jumping around the ring like a grasshopper” in his fight against Edwin De Los Santos? Rolly even said, “He just likes to touch men over and over again. Boxing is something intimate to him.” That jab was more than words—it was a challenge to Shakur Stevenson’s style. But what did Shakur Stevenson do?
He stepped into the ring and handled business in the Last Crescendo fight like a man on a mission. So now that he’s hearing the same old criticism again—people doubting his power, questioning his heart—you can bet he’s out to make a statement against Zepeda. Don’t be surprised if he hands Zepeda the first loss of his professional career.
Oh—and before you believe the chatter about the 23-0, 11 KO boxer allegedly demanding some crazy payday split for this fight, here’s the twist: a veteran boxing journalist already shut down those accusations with receipts. So what really went wrong in the negotiation drama? Let’s dig into that next.
Inside info… or just another lie?
So, an account named @elitooreal decided to stir the pot and drag Dan Rafael’s name into the drama. Big mistake. They posted a claim that “Shakur Stevenson is seeking a 90/10 split” in his favor for the potential William Zepeda fight—and said it came from none other than Dan Rafael himself.
Now if you’re thinking, ‘Wait… ninety to ten?!’—yeah, that’s not a typo. But here’s where it gets spicy. Dan Rafael wasn’t having any of it. He saw the fake quote, and in classic Dan fashion, he shut it down fast and hard. He jumped on X, quote-retweeted the post, and wrote: “Bullsh–. I didn’t write this or say that so f–k this account.” Yeah… Dan went full scorched earth. And honestly? Rightfully so.
So next time you see a “quote” flying around from a fake insider account, maybe pause before hitting repost. Because this time? Dan Rafael was not the one to mess with.
Can Shakur Stevenson silence the “pillow hands” talk with a knockout against William Zepeda? Do share your thoughts with us below.
The post Rivalry Takes Fresh Turn as William Zepeda Receives Bad News From Shakur Stevenson appeared first on EssentiallySports.