William Zepeda Can’t Handle The Heat, Says Lamont Roach

Talking to Sean Zittel, Roach questioned Zepeda’s ability to take immense punishment.

“I think his punch resistance is moderate, but I don’t think he’ll be able to withstand what I got for 12 rounds,” he said.

While Zepeda has never been known as a fighter who folds under pressure, Roach believes his recent performances have exposed vulnerabilities that had previously gone unnoticed. In his fights against Tevin Farmer and Shakur Stevenson, Zepeda was repeatedly caught flush by sharp counterpunches and power shots, often walking through them to maintain his relentless offensive pace.

Although he remained on his feet and continued pressing forward, Roach argues that simply surviving those exchanges does not necessarily prove an exceptional chin. According to him, the fact that Zepeda was visibly affected by several clean punches suggests his punch resistance may not be as impregnable as many fans assume.

Moreover, as Zepeda constantly marches forward and overwhelms opponents with activity, moments where he absorbs heavy shots can be overshadowed by his offensive output. Roach sees those exchanges differently, arguing that each clean connection chips away at a fighter’s durability

“We’re training for it, but I really don’t think he can take a lot of clean punches. I’m throwing fastballs with some heat on them,” he said. “Defense, it’s a little shaky, but that’s what we’re going to exploit.”

“A Masterpiece Awaits”

Meanwhile, the WBC has something special in store for the fighters as they prepare for the Saturday showdown. In a post on X, the organization announced that a special belt has been handcrafted by Maestros Joyeros especially for the fight.

“A true symbol of excellence, created for a historic champion,” they wrote.