William Zepeda finds himself sitting within the catbird seat for the vacant WBC lightweight title after the sanctioning body officially stripped Shakur Stevenson today.
The move comes on the heels of Shakur jumping as much as 140 kilos to take the WBO title from Teofimo Lopez this past Saturday. While Stevenson had the choice to carry onto his 135 lb strap, it could have required a $100,000 sanctioning fee that he selected to not pay.
Although Shakur took to social media to complain in regards to the decision, his eyes seemed fixed on heavier weight classes. Right after his unanimous decision win over Lopez, he was already within the ring chatting with Conor Benn a few potential move to 147. He mentioned a rehydration clause for that one, showing he’s more fascinated about latest challenges than looking back on the lightweight ranks.
This opens the door wide for Zepeda. The WBC is predicted to order a fight between him and interim champion Jadier Herrera to fill the emptiness. Zepeda, now 33-1, proved his value last July when he pushed Shakur to absolutely the limit at Louis Armstrong Stadium. In that fight, Zepeda ignored Shakur’s jab and compelled a brutal inside brawl, punishing the Recent Jersey native with constant body work in a contest many fans thought was too near call.
While Herrera brings serious power from the southpaw stance, he hasn’t handled the sort of relentless volume and pressure Zepeda carries into the ring. If this fight gets made, Zepeda has a large opportunity to finally wrap that green belt around his waist.
It’s going to be difficult for Jadier to carry Zepeda off him for 12 rounds of unrelenting pressure. He’s not going to decelerate, and can proceed to throw upwards of 100 punches per round for so long as the fight goes. Shakur was able to face up to it, but he picked off enough shots to maintain from being stopped.
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Last Updated on 02/04/2026