William Zepeda overwhelms Lamont Roach in WBC world title win

William Zepeda overwhelmed Lamont Roach Jr. with volume-punching to win the vacant WBC lightweight world championship Saturday at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas.

The Mexican fighter bounced back from a lopsided decision loss to Shakur Stevenson one year ago to beat Roach by out-thinking him as well as he out-worked him, leaving the ring with scores of 117-111 (x2) and 118-110, and a new title wrapped around his waist.

Roach appeared the most accurate puncher through the opening exchanges, landing clean right hands, but neither fighter committed fully in a feeling-out first round.

By the third, though, Zepeda found his length. He used his height and worked his jab to keep Roach on the outside, capitalizing on the American’s reluctance to trade through his work-rate.

It was his body work in particular that turned the fight in his favor — something he showed in the third round, and returned to that well in the fifth, loading up shots to Roach’s rib-cage.

While Roach enjoyed a good sixth, with left hooks enough to flip the momentum, he was unable to sustain it as Zepeda tightened his defense against single shots and got busy with his attack.

Roach seemed slower late in the fight. Zepeda’s activity, pace, and body work, combined with his height and reach, presented problems to the end, and the scorecards reflected the fight accurately: a clean, wide win for Zepeda.

At the fight’s finish, Zepeda had landed 218 shots from 884 thrown — considerably more than Roach’s hit rate of 153 from 591, according to Compubox data.

It’s the kind of performance that puts a new name at the top of the division’s conversation alongside Abdullah Mason but perhaps not Raymond Muratella, the IBF champion at 135, who defeated Robson Conceicao with ease on the undercard but said, later, it was likely his last at the weight class before he moves north to 140.

“Against Shakur [Stevenson], it was an exam I could not pass and it was humbling,” said Zepeda, post-fight. “But we took the time, came back stronger by working on our weaknesses, and now we’re champion.

“I needed the [one year] break but my true Mexican spirit was always going to come through for me to win fights like this. We were ready for every counter. Tonight, was El Camaron’s night.”

Victory advanced Zepeda’s pro record to 34-1 (27 KOs). He wants “to become undisputed [champion]” next, he said. “I don’t care who it is, or when it is. Put them in front of me, and I’m going to beat them.”