It isn't every day that you'll see a champion constantly call out a contender. In the case of Shakur Stevenson and William Zepeda, that's exactly what happened.

For years, Stevenson chastised him in the public. When that didn't work, he targeted the unbeaten Mexican's promoter, Oscar De La Hoya. Although it took longer than expected, Stevenson (23-0, 11 KOs) finally reeled him in.

Come July 12, The Ring will host at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens, New York.

No one is giving Zepeda (33-0, 27 KOs) much chance when he challenges for the full WBC lightweight title. It's not that he's a bad fighter, but when juxtaposing what he brings to the table compared with Stevenson, the U.S. Olympic silver medalist seemingly has the edge.

Teofimo Lopez, who once held Stevenson's belt, is similarly giving the three-division champion a pre-fight advantage. He just thinks Stevenson must take a slightly different approach.

As of late, Stevenson has been walking over his opponents with ease. Josh Padley notwithstanding, he outboxes them from the outside before cruising to a decision on the judges' scorecards.

That same recipe may work fine against Zepeda, but the 28-year-old fights like he has something to prove, often throwing north of 75 punches a round at times.

Still Lopez likes Stevenson, who has been criticized for playing it safe. If that's the gameplan, the outcome could be different.

"Shakur knows how to box fighters like that," said Lopez on a self-recorded call. "I'm hoping to see Shakur do more combinations. If not, it could be a 50/50 fight."