As much as the public gaze remains fixed on the Gervonta Davis–Lamont Roach rematch, a new storm brews on the sidelines. One that could easily steal the spotlight. Shakur Stevenson, never one to shy away from speaking his mind, took to social media and expressed frustration over the offer he received to fight William Zepeda. The lightweight champion didn’t hold back from calling out both the challenger and his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, directly.

Subsequent development witnessed WBC officially stepping in and ordering the fight. Now both camps have 30 days to reach a deal and avoid a purse bid. Wasting no time, Stevenson ramped up the pressure on Zepeda and the Golden Boy team. Stevenson kicked off his 2025 campaign with a ninth-round stoppage of Josh Padley during ‘The Last Crescendo’ in Riyadh. Zepeda on the other hand, strengthened his claim to a title shot by decisively defeating former champion Tevin Farmer in a rematch after a less-than-convincing win in their first meeting.

Shakur Stevenson doubles down, demands Zepeda fight

“WE WANT THE FIGHT,” Stevenson declared online, tagging both Zepeda and De La Hoya. He continued, “Now stop lying and crying and make this s**t happen, @OscarDeLaHoya @williamzepeda2. Yall like playing dirty, right? Well, I’m down to fight, Mf! 🤝”

The war of words escalated after De La Hoya claimed Stevenson had pulled out of the fight. “After all the sh*t talking, @ShakurStevenson pulls out of Zepeda fight,” said the former world champion-promoter. Stevenson, in response, seemed amused by the accusation.

“😂😂😂😂 Is that what they told you??” he asked laughingly. He went on to clarify that it wasn’t fear or hesitation but rather a financial disagreement with Turki Alalshikh that derailed the original plan. “Turki promised me a number, and now he going way back on that number that he promised me and sending his towel boys to run me the info instead telling me straight up what he tryna do,” Stevenson explained.

Stevenson vs. Zepeda: A fight boxing needs to see

Amid the back-and-forth, the WBC’s official order may have changed the game. Reportedly, both teams have until May 6 to negotiate. Otherwise, the fight heads to a purse bid. Stevenson’s side has reportedly requested a 70/30 revenue split in favor of the champion, while Team Zepeda is seeking a more balanced 55/45 split. According to a report by The Ring‘s boxing insider Mike Coppinger, Stevenson could lose up to 70% of the money he was originally offered if the WBC imposes a less favorable purse split through a bidding process.

Faced with this scenario, Stevenson has a few options. Either accept a lower purse, win the purse bid and fight, or vacate the title altogether. Fans may recall what happened in the 172 pounds division. Dmitry Bivol vacated his WBC light heavyweight title as the negotiations for the fight with David Benavidez reached purse bids. That unresolved standoff deprived fans of a major fight. Could the same fate befall the lightweight division?

With the WBC’s hammer down and the countdown to May 6 underway, fans are watching closely. Will both teams bury the hatchet for the sake of boxing, and for the fans?

Let us know your thoughts. Will Stevenson and Zepeda put egos aside and finally give us the showdown the lightweight division needs?