Referee Robert Hoyle (left) celebrates with William Zepeda after defeating Maxi Hughes in the fourth round at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas on March 16, 2024. Photo by Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy Promotions
LAS VEGAS – William Zepeda is set to choose his own title shot after securing the position as the top contender among three sanctioning bodies.
The dynamic lightweight contender already has a plan in mind for the next steps with his team.
Mexico’s Zepeda (30-0, 26 KOs) made waves in the boxing world by defeating Maxi Hughes from England in four rounds. Their DAZN main event, held last Saturday at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, served as a WBA/IBF title eliminator.
By clinching this victory, Zepeda emerged as the leading contender for both organizations. He also holds a similar ranking in the WBC, with the WBC title currently held by Shakur Stevenson (21-0, 10 KOs), who stands fourth in the ring rankings and is a sought-after opponent for Mexican fighters.
“Ideally, I would like to face Shakur next,” Zepeda told The Ring following his impressive win on Saturday. “We are fully prepared for that challenge.”
Stevenson is scheduled to headline Top Rank on July 6th on ESPN from his hometown of Newark, New Jersey. While he has yet to confirm an opponent for this fight, he appears open to the possibility of facing Zepeda.
“The real competition is right in front of me, but I have no adversary,” Stevenson stated on Twitter. “#StevensonZepeda Let’s make it happen next!!”
Zepeda, ranked fifth in the lightweight division, made a strong case for himself by securing his third consecutive knockout victory on Saturday. He has stopped 18 of his last 20 opponents.
The 27-year-old southpaw from San Mateo Atenco decisively defeated Hughes (26-7-2, 5 KOs), who is ranked No. 9 in the lightweight division. Compubox statistics show Zepeda landing 161 out of 408 total punches (39.5%), with 56 of those targeting the body. Hughes struggled to keep up with Zepeda’s assault and requested a break in his corner after the fourth round.
Before the fight, there was much discussion about the possibility of the winner earning a shot at a new title. Ukraine’s Vasyl Lomachenko (17-3, 11 KOs) is set to face George Kambosos (21-2, 10 KOs) for the vacant IBF title on May 12 in Perth, Australia. Lomachenko holds the top spot in the lightweight division, with Kambosos ranked eighth. Both fighters have previously held The Ring’s lightweight championship.
Another potential option that has been mentioned pre and post-fight is the WBA title. Gervonta Davis (29-0, 27 KOs), currently ranked second in the lightweight division and ninth pound-for-pound, is defending his title against Frank Martin (17-0, 12 KOs), who is ranked sixth in the ring. While the specifics of their bout have not been disclosed, it is likely to be the main event of PBC’s pay-per-view event in June.
However, it is Stevenson that continues to capture Zepeda’s attention.
“As a team, we will discuss our next steps,” Zepeda said. “But I believe that in comparison to all the champions out there, my style aligns best with Shakur’s.”
“He is in need of an opponent, and July presents the perfect timing for my return.”
Jake Donovan is a senior writer for The Ring and vice president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Follow @JakeNDaBox
