Boxing
Shakur Stevenson explains why the most hard style is already behind him
Zepeda’s example
He then gave one example that fit the description: William Zepeda. This detail is critical because Zepeda is not a projected opponent or a style Stevenson hopes to avoid. This is a fighter that Stevenson had already controlled for twelve rounds last July, managing pace, distance and efficiency without ever losing control of the fight.
In this sense, Stevenson outlines a narrow range of threats that he takes seriously and explains why the most obvious version of that threat has already been addressed. Resistance, as he describes it, only appears in certain circumstances that he has already experienced.
The Zepeda fight was once viewed as the moment when Stevenson would have to deal with the constant workload. The power of the punch, the power of the punch and Zepeda’s willingness to overcome resistance led to the expectation that Stevenson might eventually be forced into an uncomfortable exchange. The reality was calmer. Stevenson adjusted the pace early, giving way when it suited him and regaining control when Zepeda tried to accelerate. Production never disappeared and leverage steadily decreased.
“The most you’ll ever get is Zepeda. This was your best hope for resistance,” Shakur told Talking about cigars. “Style makes fights. The style that would give me the most resistance is the guy who throws a million punches and doesn’t stop.”
This experience appears to have shaped Stevenson’s view of his own risk limits. When he says that the style that worries him most is non-stop striking, he is also describing a scenario where the sustained pressure still hasn’t resulted in a change in control. The critical detail here is containment and the ability to limit danger without having to pursue dominance.
How fighters are filtered
Stevenson describes a narrow set of circumstances in which resistance occurs, and these circumstances are hard to replicate once athletes reach the pinnacle of the sport. Players who throw constantly tend to absorb damage early in their career. They are withdrawn, slowed down or carefully moved long before they reach the elite level, and by the time they are matched in main fights, the volume is often already confined. This pattern reflects the structure of current boxing.
High-performance fighters require risk tolerance on both sides. They take penalties, force substitutions and rely on referees to reward consistent work rather than isolated moments. These characteristics are rarely protected over time. Instead, what survived were controlled technicians, selective strikers, and fighters who won rounds without expending excess energy or exposing themselves unnecessarily.
Stevenson definitely falls into the latter group, and his career reflects that. Against Lopez, he rearranged the rounds, removed the angles and allowed the fight to fall into conditions that favored his discipline. The result was not dramatic, but decisive, confirming the same pattern that had been observed earlier in his career.
This performance, coupled with his comments about Zepeda, points to a basic reality. Stevenson’s fights aren’t getting harder because the styles that would complicate them are becoming rarer at the highest level.
But that doesn’t mean Stevenson can’t be beaten. Boxing never works that way, and timing, age and circumstances eventually catch up with everyone. This suggests that the familiar question of who will beat Shakur Stevenson is often asked without much attention to how the sport actually produces fighters capable of withstanding the pressures it describes.
If Stevenson’s own assessment is right, it’s unlikely that an opponent who will need to truly test him will arrive fully formed on the field. And if so, Stevenson has already shown that he knows how to deal with this problem without losing control or chasing unnecessary risks.
This reality may disappoint fans looking for chaos. It explains why Stevenson continues to win the same way and why the list of credible threats is shrinking instead of growing.
Frank Warren believes Tyson Fury will not only beat Anthony Joshua when the long-awaited heavyweight clash finally happens, but also stop him.
The All-British clash is scheduled for November, after a delay from its earlier summer date. Warren confirmed that Fury signed a contract for the fight in January, and both men are expected to undergo interim fights before the fight becomes official.
When asked how he sees the fight developing, Warren made it clear he expected Fury to win and pointed to Joshua’s knockout loss to Daniel Dubois as a major factor.
“I think Tyson will win,” Warren told Secondsout, predicting a Tyson Fury knockout over Joshua.
“I think Tyson will stop him.
“Did you see him fight Daniel Dubois? That gives me that confidence. I was sure Daniel Dubois would do it and he did it, and I’m sure Tyson will do the same in brief order, no matter what catches him.”
Earlier in the interview, Warren also suggested that Joshua was still feeling the effects of the Dubois defeat.
“He has the specter and cloud of what happened when he fought Daniel Dubois hanging over him. So, you know, he’s vulnerable if he gets caught now,” Warren said.
Joshua is scheduled to return on July 25 against Kristian Pregna, while Fury is scheduled to fight his own warm-up fight before November. Warren said the location for the proposed blockbuster has yet to be determined, though he confirmed the fight remains signed and will likely take place later this year, provided both heavyweights win their fights.
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Last update: 2026/06/04 at 23:14
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