He can battle the ‘Tank’ or engage ‘The Matrix’. But the way to ‘Camaron’ will have to go through the ‘Golden’ lanes. So it seems the way ahead for Shakur Stevenson; if he is keen to shut down the naysayers clamoring for a fight with the intense Mexican, William Zepeda. What if he does agree and join Oscar De la Hoya? The ‘Golden Boy’ appears confident. He and his team have what it takes to elevate the Newark Southpaw to Floyd Mayweather Jr.‘s level. Both Stevenson and Zepeda sealed their victories on the same day but at different venues.

The lightweight champion ably defended his title against Artem Harutyunyan. The Mexican challenger defeated Giovanni Cabrera in his trademark style. So what’s next? For Stevenson, a title unification with either Gervonta Davis or Vasyl Lomachenko appears to be the logical course of action. For Zepeda, it’s about winning his first title. Why not start with Shakur Stevenson? De La Hoya has been talking about the potential lineup for some time. Given the fact that Stevenson is now a free agent, he has naturally become a magnet of sorts, attracting promoters from far away England—yes, we’re talking about Eddie Hearn—to the very homeboy ‘The Golden Boy’. The latest update on the Zepeda fight shows every sign of sparking a heated debate among fans. Let’s hear what the Olympic gold medalist said.

For ‘The Money’ heights, I’m there, Shakur, Oscar De La Hoya

Oscar De la Hoya was speaking with Fight Hub TV‘s Marcos Villegas. Needless to say, the discussion picked up on Ryan Garcia‘s current status and the further course of action that he might be taking. With only a few minutes before the Golden Boy Promotions head moved on to other engagements, Villegas asked him about Shakur Stevenson.

Now that the WBC lightweight champion does not have any promotions to back him, Villegas wanted to know whether De la Hoya had reached out to him about discussing a fight with William Zepeda. The former world champion then dropped a bomb. He would be going for a Zoom call with Stevenson and his team.

That clearly roused the Fight Hub TV founder’s curiosity. He asked, “To sign him or to make a fight?” It is to sign him, revealed Oscar De La Hoya. Given the kind of talent that he brings to the table, he wanted to explore ways to work with the Newark southpaw. Why? “Shakur needs some good dancing partners, you know,” he said.

The lightweight champion actually reminded him of prime Floyd Mayweather Jr. and added, “You know Shakur reminds me of of a Mayweather. When I promoted Mayweather for 15 fights, I had every single opponent for him. Okay, all the opponents that Golden Boy had, we fed him to Mayweather, and Mayweather became Mayweather.”

But you might have to join my ranks first

Hence, he had a strong opinion that Shakur Stevenson was currently going through a similar phase. All he needs to reach Mayweather Jr.’s level is the ‘right opponent’. But it seems the basket of surprises wasn’t completely empty for the fans.

In a tweet, Oscar De La Hoya shared that he had a wonderful conversation with Shakur Stevenson and his team. But “@williamzepeda2 will only fight him if Shakur is signed to @GoldenBoyBoxing.” Now that clearly took the breath away from many gasps. 

De La Hoya probably understands that there are chances Shakur Stevenson’s popularity may gradually start waning if he loses to Zepeda. So what’s the point of signing Stevenson? Perhaps the Golden Boy promoter knows that if Stevenson wins, he will have a dependable winner in his stable. The ‘Camaron’ can then continue with a few more fights against notable contenders before he can make a comeback and stake a bigger payday.

Why do you believe that Oscar De La Hoya would have come up with such stipulations for a much-sought-after fight?