Shakur Stevenson has torn up the second half of his two‑fight deal with Eddie Hearn’s Matchroom Boxing after just one appearance, hiring veteran promoter Lou DiBella on a flat‑fee basis for his 12 July WBC lightweight consolidation bout with unbeaten puncher William Zepeda in New York City.
The switch ends a brief alliance that yielded a single outing: Stevenson’s ninth‑round stoppage of late‑replacement Josh Padley on 22 February in Riyadh. Matchroom had planned to pair the southpaw stylist with Joe Cordina last October, but a training‑camp hand injury scuppered that bout. Under the opt‑out clause both sides could walk after one fight; Stevenson chose the exit and, according to Dan Rafael, will pocket a mid–seven‑figure purse while paying DiBella significantly less than the standard promoter cut.
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DiBella’s one‑off role keeps Stevenson effectively a free agent after the Zepeda defence, a status the Newark native has coveted to navigate future showdowns with Gervonta Davis, Keyshawn Davis or the Roach‑Tank winner.
Meanwhile Zepeda enters with the WBC interim belt and pressure that many believe will force Stevenson into deeper waters than previous opponents managed. The winner leaves Madison Square Garden as sole WBC champion, clearing a title logjam that has lingered since Devin Haney vacated in 2023.
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