American Expert on the Favorite in Stevenson–Zepeda: “If His Hands Hold Up”

Former world champion Timothy Bradley shared whom he favors in the upcoming clash between Shakur Stevenson (22-0, 10 KOs) and William Zepeda (33-0, 27 KOs).

“Turki Alalsheikh is talking about shrinking the ring. I have mixed feelings about that. Shakur’s going to start unloading on this guy—he’s going to give Zepeda serious problems.

Shakur will put him through hell—if his hands hold up. Honestly, he’s got some of the most fragile hands I’ve ever seen; they’re like my three-year-old daughter’s.

The ring will be smaller. We’ve got a pressure fighter against a boxer who loves space. That’ll restrict Shakur a little, but it doesn’t mean Zepeda will know how to exploit it. There’ll be less room to maneuver, yet Shakur should cope thanks to his boxing skills.

I’m expecting more action. This could be a real breakout for Shakur, because he’ll have to stand and trade more. He’ll need to tie his man up more, step in and fight more often—and that’s fine,” Bradley said on his YouTube channel.

The bout takes place on 12 July in Queens, USA.

Photo: Ring Magazine