Despite a confirmed William Zepeda fight delay, Shakur Stevenson will unlikely accept a blockbuster with Gervonta Davis on November 2 in Las Vegas.
That’s according to respected trainer Kenny Ellis. Stevenson won’t be in the opposite corner to ‘Tank’ this year as the WBC lightweight champion waits for Zepeda in 2025.
Promoter Oscar De La Hoya, who has stepped up his efforts to sign Stevenson, made a verbal and very public agreement with Turki Alalshikh last week. De La Hoya shook hands on Stevenson vs Zepeda. However, as World Boxing News reported on Thursday, Stevenson still had an offer on the table for November 2.
Stevenson has since stated that Zepeda told him he wouldn’t be ready until early next year despite De La Hoya also looking at other options for his star lightweight.
“Zepeda pushed it back the fight [but it] will happen in February,” said Stevenson, all but confirming there’d be nothing stopping him from accepting the Davis fight three weeks before the Formula 1 race.
In response to detractors stating Stevenson vs Zepeda wouldn’t happen, the multi-weight champion added, “You all are hating. We all know, including Oscar, [that] I’m gone sign the [Zepeda] contract regardless.”
On what could be next as he awaits Zepeda, Stevenson concluded, “If it’s not any of the top names or belt holders, who [are] clearly not interested in making a fight with me, they are going to be mad. But I’m staying sharp regardless.”
Ellis, who began working on a blueprint to defeat Vasiliy Lomachenko before the Ukrainian pulled out of an encounter with Davis, believes Stevenson won’t take sign for a November 2 battle in Las Vegas.
“I would love to fight Shakur because I always said Shakur and Tank were the best, but Shakur, for some reason, isn’t going to take it,” Ellis told ES News. “We wanted to fight Loma, but he isn’t taking it, so it’s whoever they feed us.”
Davis has few other top-name options for what promises to be the most significant boxing event of the final 2024 trimester. After Frank Martin, the Baltimore native has to step it up again to Ryan Garcia levels, especially with Nevada hosting.
If Stevenson, Lomachenko, and WBO ruler Denys Berinchyk [recently signed with Top Rank] are not on the table, the T-Mobile Arena could be a tough sell against a lesser-name opponent.
Read all articles and exclusive interviews by Phil Jay. Learn more about the author, experienced boxing writer, and World Boxing News Editor since 2010. Follow on Twitter @PhilJWBN.
