WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson has long awaited his moment, and it’s finally here. The Newark native is set to face interim titleholder William Zepeda on Saturday, July 12, at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, NY. The high-stakes bout, part of the undercard for the Edgar Berlanga vs. Hamzah Sheeraz main event, has fans buzzing with anticipation. Now, several weeks before the clash, ‘Sugar’ Stevenson appears to have fired a pointed message at his Mexican rival.

The 27-year-old was originally supposed to take on Zepeda back on February 22, 2025, as part of Riyadh Season’s ‘The Last Crescendo’ event at the Kingdom Arena in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. But things didn’t quite play out that way. Zepeda had to withdraw from the fight due to a hand injury he suffered during his first fight against Tevin Farmer. The pair collide again in March, where Zepeda edged past Farmer with a majority decision win. Meanwhile, Stevenson took on last-minute replacement Josh Padley, securing a 9th-round knockout win. 

This was followed by the WBC ordering Stevenson to defend his lightweight strap against Zepeda, finally pitting the duo against each other one more time. Though Stevenson is a favorite going into the bout, many believe Zepeda’s aggressive boxing style will finally put an end to Stevenson’s often criticized defensive approach to boxing.

One X user recently explained this in a tweet, writing, “People are going to act surprised when William Zepeda beats the brakes off @ShakurStevenson.” The post didn’t go unnoticed. Shakur Stevenson quickly clapped back with a sarcastic three-word response aimed at his upcoming opponent. “I’m sooooooo scared,” he wrote. 

In the meantime, did you know Stevenson and Zepeda are already set to make history?

Historic announcement for Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda

Shakur Stevenson’s long-awaited WBC lightweight title defense against undefeated Mexican powerhouse William Zepeda is officially set for July 12 at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York. The event marks a historic first for the iconic U.S. Open tennis venue, which will host boxing for the very first time and seat up to 14,000 fans under its retractable roof.

This high-stakes showdown features in The Ring’s third live card and follows its exclusive Times Square debut earlier this month, where Ryan Garcia suffered an upset loss to Rolando Romero. Regardless, with both Stevenson and Zepeda ranked in the top four by The Ring, this bout carries massive implications for the 135-pound division—and the future of boxing’s next superstar.

That said, it appears Shakur Stevenson and William Zepeda are set for a truly epic matchup on July 12th, and from the looks of Stevenson’s tweets, he wants to make it a big affair. Do you think Zepeda’s relentless attacks will work on Stevenson?