William Zepeda Reinforces His Top Lightweight Status

It took a round or so for him to find the range, but once again, unbeaten top lightweight contender William Zepeda scored an impressive KO. In the main event for Golden Boy Promotions in Ontario, CA, Zepeda used heavy lefts to the body and a right-left combo to drop Giovanni Cabrera and get a third-round TKO.

William Zepeda Reinforces Top Lightweight Position on Saturday Night

Cabrera Was Impressive Very Early

Cabrera had success from his southpaw stance against the more heralded and fellow southpaw Zepeda in the opening round scoring with straight rights and good occasional lefts. Zepeda, who’s usually a punching dynamo, was very reserved in round one.

The second round started the same way, but about halfway through it Zepeda warmed up and began to score with one-two combos of a right-left and got a roar from the fans in the Toyota Arena.

Zepeda Continues His KO Binge

Then the end came in the third when the 28-year-old Zepeda threw a barrage of lefts and rights, landing twice in the onslaught with lefts to the right side of Cabrera’s body. With Cabrera reeling, Zepeda, now 31-0, 27 KOs, landed a quick left-right and Cabrera, now 22-2, was down on both knees, he barely beat the count, but referee Thomas Taylor still waved the fight off

“There’s not an individual that can take a body shot (from Zepeda). There’s not one person alive that can take a body shot. It’s something that me and my team have been working on, improving it and it looks like it’s been working in every fight that we come across,” Zepeda said to DAZN in the ring.

Zepeda has the rare distinction of being the number one ranked fighter in all four lightweight world organizations and is clearly angling for a world title shot in his next bout or two. Saturday night’s win was his fifth consecutive KO in the last 15 months. And, now attention turns to a possible title shot.

Zepeda said post-fight about which champ he wants to challenge.

“I want all four of the champions. I have done my homework. Now, it’s time for Oscar De La Hoya to do his homework and tell me what time and where’s the dance?”

One such fighter, who’s now a promotional free agent, is WBC champ Shakur Stevenson and De La Hoya told DAZN he’d like to make that fight if Stevenson is interested.