William Zepeda’s coach, Jay Najar, was caught off guard by the decision of WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson to compete against #13 ranked Joe Cordina on October 12th rather than facing them in November. Najar expressed that they were unaware of Shakur’s change in plans and his preference to fight Cordina on the undercard of Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol in Saudi Arabia.
Najar suggested that Shakur may be avoiding a matchup with Zepeda in the first half of 2025 due to Zepeda’s style posing a potential challenge to Shakur’s defensive abilities. Zepeda is seen as a significant threat to Shakur, which could impact Eddie Hearn’s future plans for a bout between Shakur and Gervonta Davis.
Shakur is said to be earning $5 million for headlining the undercard of Beterbiev-Bivol on DAZN PPV, with Hearn selecting Cordina as his opponent to assist in reshaping Stevenson’s reputation. This strategic move is viewed as a step towards propelling Shakur to a global superstar status in anticipation of a potential blockbuster fight against Tank Davis in 2025.
Najar revealed that they had requested a fight with Shakur in November, but were surprised by his decision to face Cordina instead. This unexpected development has raised doubts within Zepeda’s camp regarding Shakur’s intentions.
