Shakur Stevenson Survives Early Scare, Defeats William Zepeda via Decision – Berlanga vs. Sheeraz Highlights

Shakur Stevenson successfully defended his WBC lightweight title on Saturday night, scoring a unanimous decision in a brilliant back-and-forth bout against William Zepeda.

It was a classic battle of offense vs. defense as Stevenson, who is best known for his defensive style, kicked off the contest by dancing away from overly aggressive Zepeda. While Stevenson was the far more efficient fighter, Zepeda controlled the pace, forcing ‘Outlaw’ to engage through the first 15 minutes of the bout.

In the third, fourth, and fifth rounds, Zepeda cornered Stevenson near the ropes, landing a few solid jabs, but Stevenson inevitably worked his way back into the center of the ring. Zepeda continued to be relentless, throwing significantly more strikes than the defending champ.

Zepeda more than held his own in the early going, but Stevenson started to pull away as Zepeda’s aggressive approach began to deplete his gas tank.

Stevenson shifted gears after a relatively close first half, running away with the later rounds and securing what would be a decisive decision victory on the scorecards.

Official Result: Shakur Stevenson def. William Zepeda via unanimous decision (118-110, 118-110, 119-109) to retain the WBC lightweight world championship.

Check Out Highlights from Shakur Stevenson vs. William Zepeda: