William Zepeda redeemed himself with a career-best boxing performance, overwhelming Lamont Roach Jr. to capture the vacant WBC lightweight championship by unanimous decision Saturday night at The Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas.
The victory marked a significant comeback for Zepeda, who was coming off a lopsided loss to Shakur Stevenson a year ago. Judges scored the bout 117-111, 117-111, and 118-110, reflecting Zepeda's dominance for most of the fight.
Watch highlights of the fight here (h/t DAZN):
Fight Breakdown
The fight began with Roach finding early success, using his slick counter-punching to land clean right hands that knocked Zepeda backward. Before the fight, Roach spoke with Brian Mazique in an interview, hinting at his game plan against a southpaw pressure fighter in Zepeda.
“We’re going to impose whatever we can do and make them adjust,” Roach said in their interview.
His precision was evident through the opening rounds, winning the first two frames on most scorecards. Roach's counter right and check left hook caught Zepeda as he tried to make entries in the second round.
The Tides Turn Early
This early success, however, would not be sustained as the fight progressed.
Zepeda began to take control of the fight in the third round, consistently closing the distance and backing Roach onto the ropes. He did not just come forward recklessly, however, as he rolled with Roach’s counters and stepped out of range at the appropriate times.
His combinations mixed in hooks, body shots, and straight left hands, overwhelming Roach's typically tight defense.
Other options could include a showdown with Gervonta Davis or a potential rematch with Shakur Stevenson, who now competes at 140 pounds.
For Roach, this loss represents a setback after consecutive majority draws with Gervonta Davis and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz in 2025.
He must now regroup after losing for the first time since 2019. Roach was humble in defeat and acknowledged Zepeda's superiority in his post-fight interview.
"Zepeda was well prepared tonight. He and his team, they had a tremendous game plan, and he put it into place. No excuses. You know, I take my hat off to their team. He was just one step ahead of me,” he admitted.
For him, a rematch with “Pitbull” would keep him in the title conversation, should he choose to stay at lightweight. A potential blockbuster rematch with “Tank” Davis, however, may be more difficult now that he has two losses on his record.
