Shakur Stevenson has issued a guarantee that his performance this weekend will be less cat and mouse and far more cartoon violence.
The unbeaten three-division champ and reigning WBC 135lbs titlist went as far as to put “belt to motherfucking ass” to William Zepeda in their title consolidation bout in the co-main event of this Saturday’s ‘Ring III’ DAZN Pay-Per-View event.
“If you call me Jerry, then I’m whooping Tom’s ass,” Stevenson told DAZN’s Wade Plemons during Tuesday’s grand arrivals at Hard Rock Cafe in New York City’ famed Times Square. “That’s what I’m coming here for. Tom, Jerry, then Jerry is whooping Tom’s ass for sure.”
Stevenson, 2-0 (11 KOs) attempts the third defense of his full WBC lightweight title. Zepeda, 33-0 (27 KOs), holds the interim version of that belt.
The above cartoon reference was in response to an earlier demand by Turki Alalshikh for an end to “Tom and Jerry-type boxing matches where one fighter is running around the ring and the other is chasing him.”
Alalshikh owns Ring Magazine and is the financier for this weekend’s show. His group also financially backed a pair of events that ran on consecutive nights in the beginning of May – Ring II at Times Square and the Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez-William Scull PPV show in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, both which sorely lacked action.
A focal point behind assembling the Ring III card was to ensure an all-action lineup. Event handlers put their best foot forward, at least on paper. Saturday’s show is topped by an attractive Edgar Berlanga-Hamzah Sheeraz super middleweight clash, along with a light heavyweight battle between unbeaten Imam Khataev and former secondary titlist David Morrell.
Stevenson’s clash with Zepeda is one of two matches where pure boxers are matched with action fighters. WBC 140lbs titleholder Alberto Puello attempts to defend his belt and unbeaten record against Subriel Matias, 22-2 (22 KOs), a heavy-handed former IBF titlist.
In both matchups, the perception is that the onus is on Zepeda and Matias to cut off the ring and force Stevenson and Puello, respectively, to fight far more than box.
Stevenson has every intention to disprove that notion, though not in a sense where fans are bored by his boxing display.
In fairness, the 28-year-old southpaw from Newark, New Jersey has fallen into that category in each of first two title fight wins at lightweight. Consecutive twelve-round decision victories were posted over Edwin De Los Santos and Artem Harutyunyan, though in largely forgettable affairs.
His ninth-round knockout of unbeaten Josh Padley on February 22 in Riyadh was his first win inside the distance since April 2023 and just his second overall in seven major title fight. Padley was a very late replacement for an ill Floyd Schofield, but offered a brave account of himself which provided Stevenson with an opportunity to take the fight out of the judges’ hands.
Action-wise, Stevenson – who claimed a silver medal in the 2016 Rio Olympics - is presented with another fan-friendly matchup on Saturday. It figures to come in a far more competitive fight this time. Zepeda is an unbeaten top-rated lightweight who ranks first among all active boxers in total punches landed (31.3) and thrown (93.9) per round.
While unapologetic for his in-ring dominance, Stevenson intends to put this weekend’s favorable style mix to good use – and perhaps silence his swarm of critics in the process.
“I’m letting them know that I’m ready and I’m coming,” vowed Stevenson. “This is my spot, my opportunity and I’m ready to show the fans who I really am. There’s a lot of doubters, there’s a lot of haters. There’s a lot of people who think I’m not who I say I am.
“Saturday night, we gonna see if they right or they wrong. And I promise you, they’re wrong.”
Jake Donovan is an award-winning journalist who served as a senior writer for BoxingScene from 2007-2024, and news editor for the final nine years of his first tour. He was also the lead writer for The Ring before his decision to return home. Follow Jake on X and Instagram.
