Lightweight titleholder Shakur Stevenson has accused Golden Boy Promotions chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya of using his name to benefit the promoter’s own fighter, William Zepeda, despite no offer of a matchup between the two fighters being immediately forthcoming.

Zepeda (30-0, 26 KOs) was recently in action March 16 against Maxi Hughes, defeating the Englishman in the fourth round.

After the fight, De La Hoya alluded to having contacted Stevenson’s representatives to discuss the possibility of a matchup with Zepeda, which Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs) has stated he is open to exploring.

A post on De La Hoya’s X social media account read: “Shakur, you said nobody wants to fight you. Well, check out William Zepeda on Saturday night on DAZN. He is begging me [that he wants] to fight you.”

Stevenson responded with a post on his own X account, suggesting that De La Hoya had used the fighter’s profile in bad faith and accusing him of backtracking on a Zepeda fight that Stevenson seemingly believes had been proposed:

“Yooo @OscarDeLaHoya, I still haven’t heard anything yet about Zepeda fighting me on July 6. How can you say my name over and over and not make the fight happen next? Were you using me to promote your fighter fight or?”

De La Hoya responded with a post insisting that Zepeda was set to make a quick return, and that the promoter would be in touch with Stevenson’s representatives later in the year about a possible matchup with his fighter:

“Zepeda is fighting soon for the second time this year, I’ll talk to your promoter third quarter of this year.”