William Zepeda’s victory over Lamont Roach Jr. left a strong impression on long-time boxing journalist Mike Coppinger, who views the newly crowned WBC lightweight champion as one of boxing’s finest examples of the classic Mexican pressure fighter.
Coppinger credited Golden Boy’s patient development of Zepeda. Tough fights against Tevin Farmer followed by a loss to Shakur Stevenson helped prepare him for his dominant performance against Roach. The extended layoff before the fight also worked in his favor instead of producing ring rust.
“I think that was one of the rare times where a layoff does a fighter well rather than ring rust,” said Mike Coppinger on the Inside Ring Show. “Golden Boy, I want to give them credit. They’ve done an excellent job of building Zepeda into the fighter he is now. Two fights with Tevin Farmer. Controversial in the first fight, much more definitive in the second fight. He fights Shakur Stevenson. This was the best version. And a Mexican pressure fighter is one of our favorite archetypes in boxing, right? And that was one of the best versions I’ve seen of a Mexican pressure fighter in years.”
Relentless pressure remains Zepeda’s trademark, but recent adjustments showed a more complete fighter. Instead of relying solely on punch volume, he varied his attack, targeted the body, and forced exchanges without overextending.
Those fights served a purpose. Tevin Farmer’s movement and counterpunching forced Zepeda to solve problems he had rarely encountered as a professional. The rematch displayed noticeable improvement, while the loss to Shakur Stevenson provided another test against a world-class boxer. Coppinger views the Roach victory as the payoff from that education.
The victory over Roach showed those adjustments were paying off.
The latest win strengthens Zepeda’s position at lightweight. Bigger fights now await the 29-year-old champion, whose recent performances suggest he is still improving rather than leveling off.
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Last Updated on 2026/08/06 at 1:32 PM
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