Plenty of proficient younger fighters are in place to turn out to be the face of Mexican boxing when Canelo Alvarez fades from the scene. Emanuel Navarrete, Isaac Cruz and Jaime Munguia are just some of them.
One of the best candidate is likely to be 135-pound William Zepeda, who’s scheduled to face intelligent Maxi Hughes on Saturday at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas (DAZN).
Followers are falling in love with Zepeda’s seek-and-destroy, volume-punching type and he’s getting outcomes, which is why he’s ranked No. 1 by two sanctioning our bodies and respiration down the necks of the highest lightweights.
The 27-year-old’s type isn’t difficult: He outworks opponents in coaching camp – he appears to have inexhaustible stamina — after which does the identical within the ring, the place he has set eye-popping punch statistic data.
In different phrases, he throws punches relentlessly till his opponents can not defend themselves and are stopped or he wins a one-sided choice.
His machine-like effort in a unanimous-decision victory over former titleholder Joseph Diaz Jr. in October 2022 stands out: He threw a division-record 1,536 punches – 128 per spherical – in accordance with CompuBox.
He has averaged 99.2 punches thrown per spherical over his final 10 fights, 42.1 greater than the division common.
And he doesn’t merely wing energy shot after energy shot like some quantity punchers: 787 of the punches he threw in opposition to Diaz had been jabs, that means his method to boxing is extra methodical than reckless.
“There have been numerous feedback on social media that thought [Diaz] was my take a look at,” Zepeda stated by a translator instantly after his victory. “I feel I handed the remainder with excellence. I’m prepared for the very best at 135 kilos.”
That appeared much more apparent in his subsequent two fights, wherein his brutal ways and punching energy had been on full show
The 27-year-old from the Toluca space used largely vicious physique pictures to drop contender Jaime Arboleda thrice and cease him in two rounds in April of final yr and delivered a horrible beating in his sixth-round stoppage of former title challenger Mercito Gesta in September.
He has been as dominating as any fighter over the previous few years.
“I needed to combat a man with expertise,” stated Zepeda, referring to Gesta. “He gave that to me. I’m going to maintain occurring my method to changing into a world champion.”
The following step for Zepeda is proving he can proceed to succeed in opposition to next-level opposition.
Hughes (26-6-2, 5 KOs) doesn’t fall into that class however he made a powerful assertion in his most up-to-date combat, a disputed majority choice loss to former champion George Kambosos Jr. final July.
If Zepeda has his hand raised, subsequent up might be one of many massive boys: the Gervonta Davis-Frank Martin winner, the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Kambosos winner or Shakur Stevenson, amongst a couple of different 135-pounders who’re deemed elite.
Solely then will we all know whether or not Zepeda can be part of the unique membership of Mexican superstars. He and his handlers consider he’s ready to take the subsequent step.
“We need to combat all of the champions who’re on the market,” stated Jay Najar, Zepeda’s coach. “We’re prepared for each one among them.”
