LAS VEGAS – The man regarded by some as the world’s best fighter may have denied William Zepeda a title.
Saturday night at Virgin Hotels Resort Casino, the Mexican lightweight made it known no one else will.
In a hard-charging, hard-punching clinic that never paused, Zepeda defeated former super-featherweight champion Lamont Roach Jnr by unanimous-decision scores of 117-111, 117-111, 118-110 to capture the vacant WBC lightweight title.
In a blistering, persistent display of well-placed power punches, Zepoeda, 34-1, overcame a defeat one year ago to unbeaten four-division champion Shakur Stevenson, convincingly defeating Roach after the Washington fighter battled two former champions to draws.
Roach tried to have his footwork and hand speed set the tone in the first round as southpaw Zepeda pressed with power punches, but couldn’t cleanly find his target.
After that, Zepeda’s power was more effective. In the second, he cooled Roach’s interest in exchanging and expressed confidence with the bout’s direction.
That impactful, volume punching remained fruitful for Zepeda in the third as he varied blows to the body and head and won over the crowd roaring his last name.
Roach covered and sought to counterpunch as Zepeda relentlessly surged, slugging through Roach’s hold attempts and imposing his will.
Zepeda’s onslaught had him leading when the open scoring results were announced after four rounds, 39-37 twice and 38-38.
The head shots by Zepeda in the fifth were more impressive. Roach sought to rally with the bigger shots in the sixth, but his punches-landed deficit took the edge off his accomplishments.
Zepeda took Roach to the ropes in the opening minute of the seventh. An exchange closed with Zeeda cracking Roach with a forehead punch. Roach was doing his best to match the output, but that challenge was immense even after the halfway mark.
Zepeda’s attention to the body further separated him, compromising Roach’s defense and being outright painful.
Zepeda led 78-74 and 77-75 twice after eight rounds.
Outguessed and beaten to the punch often during his past three difficult bouts against Tevin Farmer and four-division champion Shakur Stevenson, Zepeda reversed the formula on Roach by alternating his power punches to the midsection and head, continually finding openings.
And while Roach’s best punches had an effect on his past two foes, former champions Gervonta Davis and Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, they did nothing to subdue the Zepeda storm.
He alternated fists to pound the sides of Roach’s head in the 11th, flexing his fitness and legs to withstand Roach’s rally attempt.
By winning, Zepeda joins legend Julio Cesar Chavez Snr as one of six Mexican fighters who’ve won the WBC lightweight belt.
