NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 15: William Zepeda (L) and Shakur Stevenson face off during a press … More
Shakur Stevenson puts his perfect record and WBC lightweight title on the line on Saturday, July 12, against the also unbeaten William Zepeda. Stevenson vs. Zepeda headlines The Ring Magazine 3 event from Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York. The boxing card streams on DAZN. Below, we look at the betting odds, line movement, picks, and predictions for the Stevenson vs. Zepeda matchup.
Shakur Stevenson Vs. William Zepeda Betting Odds And Line Movement
When betting odds opened for Stevenson vs. Zepeda, Stevenson was a -750 betting favorite over Zepeda, who opened at +470. As fight night approaches, Stevenson is currently listed as the -1200 favorite, while Zepeda checks in as the +550 betting underdog.
Shakur Stevenson Vs. William Zepeda
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 09: Shakur Stevenson poses for the media ahead of his WBC lightweight … More
Shakur Stevenson (23-0 with 11 knockouts) was a silver-medal winner at the 2016 Olympics before turning pro. Stevenson won his first major title in 2019 when he captured the vacant WBO featherweight belt with a unanimous decision over Joet Gonzalez.
Stevenson didn’t stick around long at that weight, moving up to super featherweight without defending the WBO featherweight belt. After two victories at super featherweight, Stevenson won the vacant WBO interim super featherweight title with a decision victory over Jeremiah Nakathila.
In September 2021, Stevenson captured the WBO title with a 10th-round TKO win over Jamel Herring. He defended that title and added the WBC super featherweight title to his collection in April 2022 with a unanimous decision win over Oscar Valdez.
Then, in September 2023, Stevenson missed weight for his title fight against Robson Conceicao. Stevenson won the fight via decision, but he left the Prudential Center in Newark that night without a single title. After the win, Stevenson announced his move to the lightweight division.
He started his lightweight run with a TKO win over Shuichiro Yoshino and then captured the vacant WBC belt in his next outing, beating Edwin De Los Santos via decision.
In his first defense of the belt, the 27-year-old Stevenson defeated Artem Harutyunyan via decision in July 2024. Stevenson returned to action in February 2025 with a ninth-round TKO win over Josh Padley.
Although Stevenson got the stoppage in that fight, many were unhappy with the lack of action in the contest, especially since Padley accepted the fight during the week of the event, replacing Floyd Schofield.
ESPN has Stevenson ranked as the No. 2 lightweight behind Gervonta “Tank” Davis.
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JULY 09: William Zepeda from Mexico works out for the media ahead of his WBC … More
William Zepeda (33-0 with 27 knockouts) is the No. 4 135-pound boxer, according to ESPN. The 29-year-old is the interim WBC champion, having won that title in November 2024 with a split decision over Tevin Farmer. He defended the interim crown in March 2025, beating Farmer by majority decision in a rematch.
One of the most active punchers in the lightweight division, Zepeda landed 344 of 974 attempted punches in the second fight against Farmer.
Before winning the interim WBC championship, Zepeda won and defended (three times) the WBA Continental Americas lightweight title.
Stevenson marks the sixth consecutive fight for Zepeda against a southpaw foe.
Shakur Stevenson Vs. William Zepeda Tale Of The Tape
Shakur Stevenson
Record: 23-0 with 11 knockouts
Age: 28
Height: 5’8″
Reach: 68″
Stance: Southpaw
William Zepeda
Record: 33-0 with 27 knockouts
Age: 29
Height: 5’9″
Reach: 69
Stance: Southpaw
Shakur Stevenson Vs. William Zepeda Breakdown
NEW YORK, NEW YORK – MAY 15: William Zepeda (L) and Shakur Stevenson face off during a press … More
Stevenson is active in the clinch. Where Zepeda mostly looks to create space from in close, Stevenson adds a wrinkle to his game, either creating space or tying up one of his opponent’s arms while looking to land with his free hand while also putting foe out of position through pressure. Stevenson is also smart about positioning in close, leaving his opponent with few targets to score on.
Stevenson should be able to take advantage of Zepeda’s inability to stave off jabs. Zepeda does not have the strongest defense when it comes to his opponent throwing with the lead hand. If Stevenson can exploit that weakness, he should be able to keep his foe at range, which is not where Zepeda will want to be on Saturday night. Another route for Stevenson is to throw with more volume than he usually does. Zepeda has an inactive guard, which will allow Stevenson to pepper him with shots around the high guard and down the middle.
Stevenson is a defensive master. He shuts down his opponent’s offense by being defensively sound, using footwork and motion, but he can also back up in a straight line, which might allow Zepeda to catch him on the ropes.
Zepeda is not afraid to get physical on the inside. He uses that part of his game to create space for offense on the break. He is also active in close, mixing up his targets and techniques when he does have enough space to unload his punches. He is aggressive in close, ignoring defense in favor of scoring. That’s a trait Zepeda needs to be careful with against such a strong defensive fighter like Stevenson. If Zepeda hopes to be active in close, he needs to prevent Stevenson from tying him up with an overhook. Short of that, he and his team will need to adjust in fight, finding ways to land with the free hand before Stevenson can do the same.
Zepeda needs to change up how he comes into range. If he uses one technique, Stevenson will be able to time his entries and light him up with counters. He also needs to watch his leaping jab, which Stevenson will exploit with his speed, catching Zepeda off balance.
Zepeda also needs to exploit Stevenson’s guard. To do that, he needs to come over the top when the two are in close. While he might not be able to put much power behind those strikes, Zepeda should be able to connect with them. Another thing Zepeda can try is to land kidney punches in close when Stevenson establishes position. While those blows are not legal, Zepeda and his team might see what the ref allows them to get away with when they are in close.
Shakur Stevenson Vs. William Zepeda Prediction And Pick
RIYADH, SAUDI ARABIA – FEBRUARY 22: Shakur Stevenson celebrates victory with his title belt and … More
Zepeda needs to overcome the defense of Stevenson, and that’s a tall order for any fighter. Put simply, Zepeda doesn’t have the style to do that. His best hope is that he can score through volume and convince the judges to give him the nod because of that.
Stevenson will prove to be defensively sound, and score with enough counters to get the nod.
The pick is for Stevenson to win via unanimous decision.
Saturday’s Fight Card
Edgar Berlanga (23-1-0) vs. Hamzah Sheeraz (21-0-1) – 12 rounds – Middleweight
Shakur Stevenson (23-0-0) vs. William Zepeda (33-0-0) – 12 Rounds – For Stevenson’s WBC lightweight title
Alberto Puello (24-0-0) vs. Subriel Matias (22-2-0) – 12 rounds – For Puello’s WBC junior welterweight title
David Morrell (11-1-0) vs. Imam Khataev (10-0-0) – 12 rounds – Light heavyweight
The Ring Magazine 3 Fight Card Date:
Saturday, July 12, 2025
The Ring Magazine 3 Fight Card Time:
5:00 p.m. ET
The Ring Magazine 3 Fight Card Location:
Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York
The Ring Magazine 3 Fight Card How to Watch Or Stream:
DAZN PPV
The Ring Magazine 3 Fight Card Streaming Cost:
$59.99 or $94.99 with Usyk vs. Dubois II card.
We will have more on the Berlanga vs. Sheeraz, Stevenson vs. Zepeda and The Ring 3 fight card as fight night nears.
