At a pre-fight press conference held in New York, Shakur Stevenson exhibited a composed and professional demeanor during his faceoff with his upcoming opponent, William Zepeda.
Stevenson is set to defend his WBC lightweight championship against Zepeda in the main event on July 12th in New York City. The undefeated 27-year-old from New Jersey, holding a perfect 27-0 record, is aiming for another significant win that could pave the way for even bigger fights in the future. Zepeda, equally undefeated with an impressive 33-0 record, holds the interim WBC lightweight title after defeating Tevin Farmer last November and is undoubtedly seeking a statement victory by inflicting Stevenson`s first loss.
In stark contrast, the co-main event faceoff between Edgar Berlanga and Hamzah Sheeraz proved significantly more heated. The typically animated Berlanga made extensive efforts to unsettle Sheeraz during their intense, nose-to-nose staredown on stage.
Berlanga initially used hand gestures mimicking a gun pointed at Sheeraz. When this did not provoke a sufficient reaction, he escalated his performance, simulating a machine gun barrage in a theatrical display reminiscent of a scene from the movie Scarface.
Despite the tension and Berlanga`s provocations, the faceoff did not escalate into a physical confrontation. Security personnel quickly intervened, stepping between the fighters to separate them before any altercation could occur.
