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William Zepeda has already emerged as a lightweight to fear, though the stakes have been raised by his own team.
Oscar De La Hoya, founder and chairman of Golden Boy Promotions spent fight week insisting to anyone who would listen that Zepeda (24-0, 22KOs) is ready for any lightweight in the world. The Hall of Fame former six-division champion name-dropped WBC lightweight titlist Devin Haney (27-0, 15KOs) as a potential future victim for the unbeaten 25-year-old southpaw from San Mateo Atenco, Mexico.
“This guy, he beats Devin Haney right now,” De La Hoya insisted to reporters in Tijuana, where Golden Boy stages its first show of 2022.
Zepeda fights in the co-feature slot, as he faces countryman Luis Angel Viedas (29-11-1, 10KOs) this Saturday at Plaza Monumental in Tijuana. A more desirable opponent was sought, only for the offer to be turned down by numerous mid-level lightweights. Zepeda instead settles for the locally-based Viedas, but not at all treating it as a stay-busy affair.
I feel honored to represent Mexico and Golden Boy on this fight card,” Zepeda stated during Thursday’s final pre-fight press conference. “I have a very tough opponent in front of me and I’m looking forward to this challenge.”
The fight marks a quick turnaround for Zepeda following a breakthrough 2021 campaign. The hard-hitting southpaw has now stopped his last fourteen opponents, including a surprisingly dominant sixth-round stoppage of unbeaten Hector Tanajara last July in Los Angeles.
Saturday’s bout comes three months after his last fight, a fourth-round stoppage of John Vincent Moralde last November 13 in Anaheim, California. The fight served in supporting capacity to countryman Jaime Munguia (38-0, 30KOs), the former WBO junior middleweight titlist who faces D’Mitrius Ballard (21-0-1, 13KOs) in the scheduled DAZN-televised 12-round main event.
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox