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Stevenson vs Zepeda - The fight that could be this generation's Mayweather vs Gatti
Last month was the 20-year anniversary of one of the most important fights in the career of Floyd Mayweather as he took up the B-side of the promotion against the legendary Arturo Gatti.
Aiming to become a PPV attraction, Mayweather had in front of him the ideal opponent, and although the fight generated a huge buzz due to Gatti’s incredible popularity, those who know this sport were aware deep down that Gatti had little chance of emerging victorious.
World class, but not elite, Gatti’s reputation in boxing, a heroic one with widespread fanfare, had not been earned through world title successes and boasts about wealth. The Canadian slugger who made Atlantic City his lucrative base was to boxing what DMX was to Hip Hop.
Never the best and rough around the edges, Gatti left everything he had in the ring time after time, and when followers of the sport knew they could depend on him to deliver incredible levels of action every time he competed, they knew he was worth investing both their time and money into him.
But Gatti had a ceiling. Paired with the Mickey Ward’s and Ivan Robinson’s of the world, Gatti was comfortable despite looking anything but. There were times in his career where he had to step up in class and face what elite level looks like, but after being dominated by Oscar De La Hoya in 2001, it was obvious what was going to happen against Mayweather.
With boxing no longer home to either Mayweather or Gatti, new names are looking to operate on the prestigious platform both fighters once occupied. After Gatti, Mayweather would become the biggest name in the sport before retiring in 2017. For Gatti, he would lose two of his next three before exiting the sport. He tragically died in 2009 after committing suicide although some close to him argued that he was murdered.
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In terms of profile, Zepeda still has a long way to go to match the commercial appeal that made Gatti a household name. The Mexican puncher has excited fans on his climb to this position, but he still lacks the marquee performance that Gatti would conjure up pretty much every he was expected to deliver.
But Zepeda can fight. He can fight well, and he has been built into being someone who can overwhelm opponents with a relentless style and heavy hands. His backers believe he can do that to Stevenson this Saturday night, live on DAZN PPV, and despite the Newark man’s many high-level attributes, some think Zepeda could be the fighter who bursts his bubble.
An Olympic silver medalist in 2016, a summer games that featured several killers in his weight class, Stevenson’s tears when missing out in the final brought him more attention than his runner’s up honour. Fast tracked in the pro game by Top Rank, Stevenson eased his way towards multiple world titles without breaking sweat, but his style meant that fans were sometimes turned off by his defensive approach.
As it stands, Stevenson needs to dazzle the way Mayweather did against Gatti, and Zepeda could be the man to do it against. For every person who believes that Zepeda can cause a shock this weekend, there will be more who think Stevenson is too good and he can make light work of an opponent who has been built to be a force of destruction.
If Stevenson is to win, then just like Mayweather, he must continue to target the biggest names available and that means pursuing showdowns with fighters like Teofimo Lopez and Gervonta Davis. Mayweather boosted his earnings and credibility further just two years after the Gatti schooling by beating De La Hoya and Ricky Hatton. Stevenson must follow a similar blueprint.
Stevenson and Zepeda may not be as fondly remembered as Mayweather and Gatti when their careers are over. That does not mean they cannot be inspired by them though, and Saturday night they have the chance to show a big audience just how good they both can be. No matter how close or one-sided the fight ends up.
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