How hard could it be to make a fight between a WBC world champion and the interim WBC champion? In theory, it seems pretty straightforward, right? However, in the case of Shakur Stevenson and William Zepeda, it seems quite difficult. The duo has been slated to fight each other for almost a year now, ever since Zepeda became the No.1 ranked contender last year. However, the stars never aligned.

Initially, Oscar De La Hoya aimed to give Camaron more exposure before a potential fight against Shakur Stevenson. However, Golden Boy hesitated once Stevenson became a free agent, stating they couldn’t promote the bout until Stevenson officially signed with Golden Boy Promotions. Finally, after Stevenson signed with Matchroom instead, and following lengthy discussions between the two teams to arrange the fight, everything seemed set for a February 2025 clash—until the Mexican fighter injured his hand.

To many, it certainly seemed like Zepeda’s camp was doing everything to dodge this fight. The 32-0 boxer will even fight Tevin Farmer in a few days to settle the scores, barely a month after his canceled fight against Shakur Stevenson. Despite Zepeda and his team revealing their wish to make the fight, something always comes in between, putting an end to all the talks. On the other hand, the Newark native has been demanding the fight for a long time.

However, in a recent interview with Mill City Boxing, Zepeda’s trainer Jay “Panda” Najar completely flipped the narrative. During the interview, he dropped the bombshell that Riyadh Season had plans to have Zepeda-Stevenson fight on Canelo Alvarez‘s undercard—an offer he says Stevenson rejected. Surely it doesn’t sound like Shakur Stevenson to run from a challenge that he has revealed his willingness for.

The interview clip blew up online, eventually catching the WBC lightweight champion’s eyes. He fired back. reposting the clip on his ‘X’ and stating, “That’s cap I never heard one thing about that…” denying any knowledge of the offer. Furthermore, he extended his own challenge to Zepeda and his team and wrote, “Cmon now panda hit my line we can make it happen any day they want to!!!”

Shakur Stevenson is indeed a wanted man out there. He already has an ongoing beef with Gervonta Davis. William Zepeda’s team has also re-ignited the talks in a way. And now, we have got Ryan Garica throwing in his hat amidst the chaos.

Ryan Garcias’s road to redemption

After a year-long suspension, the Victorville-born fighter will step back into the ring on May 2nd and headline the Fatal Fury card against Rolando “Rolly” Romero. On the same night, his longtime nemesis Devin Haney will also return, taking on Jose Ramirez. If both emerge victorious, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh has a blockbuster plan in store: a long-awaited grudge match between the two. But the plot’s taken a sharp turn.

Rather than keeping his sights locked on Haney, Garcia’s now gunning for Shakur Stevenson to resurrect his faltering career. In an interview with All The Smoke, the Victorville native revealed his plans to face Sugar “Because that’s somebody I had competition with since amateurs. I feel like he’s rising up as well,” he stated.

Indeed the history between Stevenson and Garcia runs deep. The WBC lightweight champion even defeated Garcia during the 2013 U.S. Junior National Selection Tournament Semi-Finals. It looks like KingRy has realized that both Haney and Rolly are not as big of draws as they used to be. Just like Garcia, their star power has dimmed in recent years. So, if he wants to revive his career, a fight against Shakur Stevenson seems like the perfect opportunity.

Stevenson, though, has his hands full and he might not even consider the Victorville native because of the weight difference between them. However, all the chaos has indeed turned the lightweight division into the most electrifying division in boxing. It is like a circus with free tickets for everyone and no one knows who will emerge as the one and only champion.

Will Shakur Stevenson and William Zepeda ever share a ring amidst all the chaos? At this point, it’s anyone’s guess. Who do you think will be the perfect opponent for Stevenson at this point? Let us know your thoughts down below.