We all know rumors are part of boxing. It builds the hype, stirs the pot, and lets the fists do the talking when the bell rings. But this time, it’s not just about fighters. A respected boxing journalist has been unexpectedly dragged into the drama, and it’s all tied to the hot-topic fight between Shakur Stevenson and William Zepeda. Now, if you’ve been paying attention, you already know the tension started simmering when Shakur Stevenson refused the deal put to him by Oscar De La Hoya for the Zepeda fight because it was below what was promised to him earlier by HE Turki Alalshikh.

Since the fight’s set to go down on U.S. soil, and HE Alalshikh made it very clear he’s not dishing out any Riyadh-level cash for it. In fact, he capped the payout at $500,000. Now, compare that to what Shakur Stevenson reportedly made in his last bout—against Josh Padley—and you can see why he’s not too happy. Especially since, according to the WBC Lightweight champion, a much bigger paycheck was promised. And when things couldn’t get more heated, an X account decided to stir the pot even more, painting Shakur Stevenson in a bad light, while also dragging veteran journalist Dan Rafael into the mess.

Dan Rafael doesn’t speak without receipts

An X account named elitooreal tried to stir the pot by claiming Dan Rafael said something he never actually said. And let’s just say… Dan wasn’t having any of it. The man himself jumped on X yesterday, quote-retweeted the false post, and shut it down hard, exposing the lies. His exact words? “Bullsh-t. I didn’t write this or say that so f–k this account.” Now, in case you missed the post—or just need a little refresher—don’t worry, we got you covered.

According to the post, they got some “insider information” from Team Zepeda that “Shakur Stevenson is seeking a 90/10 split” in his favor. Yup, you read that right. Ninety to ten. That’s not a typo. According to the post, the 27-year-old was basically saying, he’s “the A-side” here. The post also claimed that the 23-0 boxer said, “fans are unfamiliar with Zepeda” and that’s why people would only watch the fight for him. And the post credited it new to veteran ESPN journalist Dan Rafael.

Now to be fair, Shakur Stevenson is undefeated, a three-division world champion, and carries serious recognition, especially in the U.S. But 90/10? That’s not just confidence—that’s straight-up king behavior. But obviously, the claims were totally false. And Dan Rafael wasn’t about to let the nonsense spiral.

While the purse talks are still up in the air, it honestly seemed like the fight itself might not even happen, especially after Shakur Stevenson’s deal with HE Turki Alalshikh fell through. But here’s the thing: HE Alalshikh isn’t directly involved in the talks here—Eddie Hearn is. And from the looks of it, the Matchroom head honcho has a solid plan brewing to turn this dream matchup into a reality. How?

Eddie Hearn has a power move up his sleeve

If you’ve been hoping for Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda to finally go down—well, you’re gonna like what the Matchroom boss had to say. Hearn spilled the tea with iFL TV, saying, “Today I had a very positive conversation with Eric Gomez from Golden Boy.” That right there? Big news. And Hearn didn’t stop there. He followed up with, “And we will be going to DAZN to say let’s make Shakur Stevenson against Zepeda happen.”

According to Hearn, bringing the fight to DAZN isn’t just a smart move—it’s a power play. Not only does it rake in stronger pay-per-view numbers, but it also keeps the money flowing right here in the U.S. And he made it crystal clear—he’s all in. Why? “Because it’s one of the best fights in the sport and we’ll have that conversation with DAZN this week.”

What makes this even more promising? Both Golden Boy Promotions and Matchroom are already cozy with DAZN. So the whole cross-promotional headache? Not really a factor here. Hearn said it best, “Obviously, we’re at the benefit of Eric Gomez and Oscar are with DAZN, we’re with DAZN. Let’s make the fight happen. It’s a great fight.”

So yeah—while the Saudi money might’ve slowed down, Eddie Hearn isn’t letting this matchup slip away. He’s locked in and ready to deliver it on a platform that actually makes sense for everyone. Do you think Shakur Stevenson deserves the lion’s share in a fight with Zepeda? Do share your thoughts with us below.