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Shakur Stevenson vs William Zepeda Fight Results: Stevenson Earns UD

Originally posted on Fights Around The World
By Ryan O'Hara | Last updated Jul 13, 2025 1:03 AM ET

Shakur Stevenson vowed to make William Zepeda pay—and in a display of calculated brilliance, he delivered on that promise with emphatic precision.

The three-division world champion retained his WBC lightweight title for the third time with a commanding unanimous decision victory over the previously unbeaten Zepeda, offering a lopsided demonstration of elite boxing acumen. The bout served as the co-main event to the super middleweight showdown between Edgar Berlanga and Hamzah Sheeraz.

The 28-year-old Stevenson (24-0, 11 KOs), who trains out of Las Vegas, NV, met Zepeda’s relentless aggression head-on, beating him to the punch with superior timing, ring generalship, and clinical accuracy. Zepeda (33-1, 27 KOs), 29, of Mexico, was aggressive throughout and sought to impose his will—but his recklessness proved costly. While Stevenson landed a remarkable 295 of 565 punches (52%), according to Compubox, Zepeda connected on just 272 of 979 (28%), an efficiency gap that told the story of the fight.

Zepeda opened the contest with characteristically suffocating pressure, attempting to drown Stevenson in volume. Yet it was Stevenson who dictated terms, landing the cleaner, more authoritative shots. A precisely timed left hand early in the first round set the tone, as Stevenson fluidly varied his attack to both head and body. Though Zepeda managed sporadic success with body shots, Stevenson calmly weathered the exchanges and closed the round with a flurry of crisp lefts and rights that forced Zepeda backward.

True to his pre-fight promise, Stevenson held his ground in round two, remaining in the pocket and countering Zepeda’s pressure with poised defiance. Zepeda landed a sharp left-right to the body, but Stevenson’s response was immediate—a well-timed uppercut that staggered the Mexican momentarily. Zepeda continued to press forward, but Stevenson reestablished control with a surgically placed right hand in the final seconds.

The third round began with Stevenson momentarily retreating to a corner, only to pivot out with a sly, confident grin. The two fighters traded thudding shots to the body before Stevenson delivered a counter right hand that violently snapped Zepeda’s head back. Undeterred, Zepeda responded with perhaps his best moment of the fight—a searing right uppercut to the jaw with under 40 seconds left in the round. Stevenson absorbed the blow and returned fire with a series of punishing combinations.

Stevenson, long heralded for his defensive prowess, has at times been critiqued for lacking offensive urgency. The fourth round silenced such doubts. Zepeda backed him to the ropes and unloaded a frenzied barrage, but Stevenson responded with surgical counters and stiff jabs to the body that gradually turned the tide. Though Zepeda closed the round with a flush left cross that backed Stevenson to the ropes again, the Newark native’s composure and shot selection left little doubt as to who was in command.

As round five began, CompuBox revealed Stevenson was landing at a staggering 50% clip, a reflection of both his efficiency and tactical control. With 30 seconds remaining in the round, Stevenson unleashed a sharp four-punch combination that halted Zepeda’s forward momentum. A spirited exchange closed out another tightly contested round, but Stevenson’s accuracy continued to distinguish him.

Round six further illuminated Stevenson’s genius. Just 20 seconds in, he landed a looping overhand left, and despite Zepeda’s continued pressure, Stevenson remained tranquil in the eye of the storm. He probed with the jab, slipped inside, and peppered his opponent with counters. At the 1:30 mark, a perfectly timed shot briefly froze Zepeda in place. Moments later, Stevenson stepped left, exploited Zepeda’s poor positioning, and delivered a thunderous left hand. As the round ended, it became clear that Zepeda’s relentless pace was beginning to fade under the weight of Stevenson’s punishing precision.

By the seventh round, Stevenson’s dominance had become textbook. A clean one-two combination midway through the frame sent Zepeda’s head and hair snapping upward, a vivid illustration of the force behind the punches. The pattern was familiar: Zepeda charging forward, Stevenson dictating the terms with surgical counterpunching and efficient footwork.

Zepeda had his brightest moment in round eight, landing a spirited four-punch combination that finally registered with some authority. Yet the momentum was short-lived. Stevenson replied with brutal efficiency, punishing Zepeda with a barrage of clean counters that reiterated his command. For every shot Zepeda landed, he paid a heavy price.

To his credit, Zepeda’s resolve never faltered. With less than a minute left in round ten, he launched a desperate flurry of punches, seeking a breakthrough. But Stevenson, unfazed and defensively sublime, either slipped or parried each attempt with fluid ease—continuing his masterclass even under pressure.

The championship rounds unfolded in tight quarters, but Stevenson remained the professor, delivering pinpoint uppercuts and straight shots on the inside. Zepeda continued to throw with volume, but most of his efforts were thwarted by Stevenson’s defensive craft. The round concluded with a crisp one-two combination from Stevenson, which Zepeda absorbed with grit but little opportunity to respond.

In the final minute of the twelfth and final round, Stevenson once again seized the moment—landing a sharp counter that sent Zepeda stumbling backward. Zepeda flailed with a desperate flurry, but found only air. Stevenson remained poised, sharp, and completely in control until the final bell. Once again, the master had schooled the challenger.

In a sport defined by margins, Stevenson’s brilliance wasn’t subtle—it was emphatic. He remains undefeated, and perhaps more importantly, unchallenged.