Lamont Roach Overlooks William Zepeda’s Greatest Weapon

“I think his punch resistance is moderate, but I don’t think he’ll be able to withstand what I got for 12 rounds,” Roach said to Sean Zittel. “We’re training for it, but I really don’t think he can take a lot of clean punches. I’m throwing fastballs with some heat on them.”

Roach later expanded on what he views as Zepeda’s biggest weakness.

“Defense, it’s a little shaky, but that’s what we’re going to exploit.”

The flaw in that analysis is assuming Zepeda fights like the opponents Roach has already faced.

Isaac Cruz, Gervonta Davis and Hector Luis Garcia all relied far more on head shots than sustained body attacks. Zepeda works differently. He chips away at the midsection from the opening bell, slowing opponents before the opportunities upstairs begin to multiply. His offense is built less around one damaging punch than a constant stream of combinations that gradually wears opponents down.

That approach changes the equation for Roach. Sharp counterpunching from the outside can expose Zepeda’s defensive lapses early, but maintaining that rhythm becomes much more difficult once the body attack begins taking effect.

Roach’s durability has never been a major concern. The more significant question is how his movement holds up after several rounds of absorbing body shots from one of boxing’s busiest pressure fighters.

Roach’s prediction will depend on consistently landing the cleaner punches before Zepeda’s body attack begins slowing him down. If Zepeda succeeds in dragging the fight into his preferred pace, punch resistance may become a secondary issue. The outcome could instead hinge on whether Roach can keep his movement, work rate, and defensive discipline intact after absorbing the sustained body attack that has become Zepeda’s trademark.