It’s a skilled technician vs. puncher fight, as the WBC puts a foot forward and orders Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda. It’s one of the biggest fights in the lightweight division, with two converging storylines: a champion looking to cement his stronghold at the top and a challenger threatening to uproot it all. However, Oscar De La Hoya still has doubts about it. To remind you, Stevenson, 27, is coming off a comprehensive win over Artem Harutyunyan, and Zepeda, 28, fought on the same night, dismantling Giovanni Cabrera and keeping his KO streak going.

Since then, there have been talks of a possible fight between the two, as the Mexican boxer finds himself in a unique position of being op-ranked by all sanctioning bodies. And it seems the two will fight it out with the WBC gold strap on the line.

But the Golden Boy Promotions’ lynchpin has a different take, as he believes the choice lies with his fighter, and certainly with him. De La Hoya turned to his X handle and wrote, “Check this out @williamzepeda2 is so bad ass he has four sanctioning bodies to choose from. Nobody will tell him who he must fight next.”

The American promoter has long campaigned for Zepeda, at 31-0, to bag a title shot. But his preference remains to stage a fight with WBO champion Denys Berinchyk. Why so?

With Gervonta Davis and Vasyl Lomachenko on a collision course, Berinchyk might be an easier fight than his WBC counterpart. That’s not it. All things boil down to business, and Stevenson vs. Zepeda is no different.

De La Hoya puts a major condition on Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda

Ever since completing his contractual obligations with Top Rank, ‘Sugar’ has been weighing his options. He has a couple of options to pick from, too. Eddie Hearn‘s Matchroom Boxing, Mayweather Promotions, and De La Hoya’s Golden Boy. And De La Hoya wants Stevenson’s signature in return if he offers Zepeda. The 51-year-old promoter had declared, “Had a great meeting with Shakur Stevenson’s representatives. William Zepeda will only fight him if Shakur is signed to Golden Boy.”

The WBC champion has hinted toward aligning with Hearn and Matchroom with his recent outpouring of praise for him. But Matchroom’s stable doesn’t offer an exciting name. Will Stevenson, at 22-0, ink a deal with De La Hoya to land a fight that promises fireworks and exciting action? It remains to be seen.

What do you make of this comment by Oscar De La Hoya about William Zepeda? Let us know in the comments below.