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.