The path to this high-profile fight between Shakur Stevenson and William Zepeda hasn’t been an easy one. The pair was originally supposed to square off back in October last year. However, Zepeda had injured his arm during his then-previous bout against Tevin Farmer, leading to the cancellation of the fight. However, some things are inevitable. 

Zepeda fought Farmer a second time, while Stevenson took on Josh Padley earlier this year. Eventually, the WBC stepped in to order the pair for the title fight, and thanks to backing from His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Stevenson and Zepeda are finally slated to square off at the Louis Armstrong Stadium, Queens, New York, this weekend. But as the anticipation builds, people have been asking—how much are the fighters making? 

How much is Shakur Stevenson making? Estimated fight purse and more

While the exact purse Shakur Stevenson will earn from the fight against Zepeda remains unconfirmed, his previous payouts offer a solid estimate of what he might pocket this time. At the beginning of his professional career, Stevenson earned a modest $10,000 per bout. By 2018, however, the Olympic silver medalist had seen his earnings rise to around $50,000, notably in bouts against Jessie Cris Rosales and Christopher Diaz, according to Sports Zion.

His purse doubled in the fight against Alberto Guevara and jumped to $150,000 for his clash with Joet Gonzalez. The following year, Stevenson’s paycheck climbed significantly—he earned $450,000 for his bout with Felix Caraballo in 2020. That figure soared in 2021 when Shakur Stevenson secured a then-career-high $1.7 million against Jamel Herring, followed by a $1.5 million payday in the Oscar Valdez fight.

In his matchup with Robson Conceição, Stevenson was slated to earn $3 million, but after missing weight and paying a $150,000 penalty to Conceição, his take-home pay dropped to $2.85 million. For his lightweight debut against Shuichiro Yoshino, Stevenson earned a guaranteed $1 million, with reports suggesting his total payout, including pay-per-view revenue, reached $3 million. Against Edwin De Los Santos, Stevenson reportedly made between $3 million and $4 million for capturing the vacant WBC lightweight title.

In subsequent bouts, Shakur Stevenson earned $3 million against Artem Harutyunyan, $5 million against Joe Cordina, and $2.2 million for his fight with Josh Padley. As for the upcoming fight with Zepeda, the purse split is reportedly 70/30 in Stevenson’s favor. With a rumored total purse of $5 million, Stevenson is expected to walk away with approximately $3.5 million.

William Zepeda’s estimated fight purse

Much like Shakur Stevenson, the exact purse figures for William Zepeda are not publicly confirmed. However, his past payouts offer insight into what he might earn on Saturday night. In the early stages of his career, the undefeated Mexican boxer earned relatively modest sums. By 2022, though, he reportedly secured $500,000 for his fight against Joseph Diaz, according to NY Fights.

In his following bout against Jaime Arboleda, Zepeda earned an estimated $450,000. His purse dipped slightly to $300,000 for the fight with Mercito Gesta but rebounded to $500,000 in his matchup with Maxi Hughes, excluding any pay-per-view shares. Against Giovanni Cabrera, Sporty Salaries reported that Zepeda earned a guaranteed $425,000.

Zepeda’s biggest payday came in his first fight against Tevin Farmer, where he reportedly made around $850,000—ballooning to $1.5 million after factoring in pay-per-view revenue, according to various sources. He received a similar payout for the rematch.

Now, with a 70/30 purse split in Stevenson’s favor, Zepeda is expected to earn a career-high estimated purse of $2 million. Including potential pay-per-view earnings, his total payout could exceed $2.5 million.

Both fighters seem poised to earn substantial paydays from this highly anticipated matchup, thanks to the buzz it’s generating. What are your thoughts on their projected earnings?