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Add FightsATW on GoogleWhat is at stake when Lamont Roach Jr. faces William Zepeda for the vacant WBC lightweight title at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas?
Roach enters off two consecutive draws on pay-per-view. Zepeda enters off a loss to Shakur Stevenson on pay-per-view as well. The bout comes as the lightweight division is rebuilding. Abdullah Mason holds the WBO title and had a “Fight of the Year” bout with Albert Bell, the IBF titleholder. Raymond Muratalla will fight in the co-feature on Saturday, and the WBA belt is vacant.
It is clear that boxing is changing, but so are the names and faces atop the sport. The old guard is moving on; the familiar faces are gone or in the process of leaving. It is a new era, and Roach and Zepeda represent that.
Let’s look at the stories of this bout.
Who is Lamont Roach Jr.?
People are divided in their perception of Roach (25-1-3, 10 KOs). To me, he is an elite fringe star, with one of the game’s best coaches, Lamont Roach Sr.
Others see a lack of ability to finish a fight, attributed to his two consecutive draws with Gervonta Davis and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz.
Roach has adapted in the modern era by using tools like Twitch streaming to attract new fans.
The question is: is Roach simply a fighter with two hard-luck draws who should be a three-division world champion (the camp I fall into), or is he a fighter who cannot separate himself in the final rounds and finds every fight difficult?
Right now, it is more of a faith-based argument. We need a larger sample size to truly know who Roach is.
William Zepeda Isn’t Much Different
Remember 2020, when Zepeda (33-1, 27 KOs) stopped Roberto Ramirez, and in his next fight he stopped Hector Tanajara?
A star was born. He went to another level by defeating Joseph Diaz Jr, but Zepeda has been seen as a high-risk, low-reward fighter until recently. He stopped Giovanni Cabrera, an impressive win. Then he was dropped by Tevin Farmer and had two competitive fights that made people say “WTF?”
Zepeda fought Shakur Stevenson a year ago and lost by unanimous decision. At 30, the time to win a belt is now. The question persists: has he had too many physical fights, and is he starting to slow down? In terms of his body and training, the answer is no, but on fight night we will see how he performs.
Roberto Diaz’s Fingerprints Are All Over This Fight
Now a manager, but former matchmaker Roberto Diaz helped develop both fighters. It is hard to look at this bout without thinking about Diaz’s legacy. Diaz was heavily involved in the matchmaking process that helped build Roach into the fighter he is today, and he also worked with Zepeda during his initial run.
Sometimes we don’t talk enough about the behind-the-scenes people, but Diaz is instrumental in this fight. The fight he put forth for Roach and Zepeda prepared both fighters perfectly for this moment during his time working with them.
On Paper, This Screams “Fight of the Year”
Roach is a boxer, but a D.C. boxer. You get what I mean, probably not? He will have a high guard and technically work to break down his opponent. Zepeda throws punches like a bumblebee moves and hits like a whip.
Neither is going to be hard to find; both have balls and enter with something to prove. It is a title fight, but as odd as it sounds, a loss here could potentially derail a substantial run. It is the perfect storm, where both fighters match up to make for great action, but also have so much to lose that they are not just fighting the opponent, but themselves to a certain extent. Every demon, every fear, goes into their training, which means this could be a really good bout.
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