Shakur Stevenson took to social media to apologize to Turki Alalashikh for some of his comments about him, reducing the amount of money that had previously been offered for a fight against William Zepeda.

Public Groveling

Boxing fans on X are roasting Shakur (23-0, 11 KOs) for groveling, and they view it as him doing it so Turki will keep paying him a lot of money. Stevenson was rumored to have gotten a career-high payday for his last fight against the electrician Josh Padley.

One of the complaints Shakur made about Turki is that the revised purse that he was being offered for the Zepeda (33-0, 27 KOs) fight was less than what he got fighting Padley. He expected more, given that Zepeda is the WBC interim lightweight champion, has a high-volume offense, and is known for being one of the best pressure fighters in the 135-lb division. There’s the potential of Shakur losing the fight or looking very bad by choosing to move all night.

Begging for Bucks

It’s unclear if Shakur was told by his promoters or manager to publicly apologize on X so that he can worm his way back into Turki’s good graces. If the apology works, we could see the Zepeda fight happen for him next. Stevenson might need Turki to lure Zepeda to fight him because he’s not going to agree to take the fight if it’s not financially worthwhile.

Zepeda and Golden Boy obviously know that Shakur won’t stand in front of him and fight. He’s going to land single shots and dart away all night. It’s the amateur style that has worked for Shakur since he turned pro, albeit against less than elite-level opposition.

Excited about my next fight it was a misunderstanding between Turki and the team. My apologies on my part for over reacting 🦾 Let’s work @Turki_alalshikh

— Shakur Stevenson (@ShakurStevenson) April 17, 2025