Roach and Zepeda Vie for Supremacy in the Lightweight Division

On Sat., Aug. 1, 2026, former WBA Jr. lightweight champion Lamont Roach, Jr .(25-1-3, 10 KOs) will fight top contender William Zepeda (33-1, 27 KOs) at the Theater at Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, NV for the vacant WBC lightweight (135 lbs.) title.

Shakur Stevenson was reportedly stripped of the title for not paying sanctioning fees for a sanctioned fight. Roach was at the threshold of lightweight supremacy back in March 2025 when he moved up from junior lightweight (130 lbs.) to challenge the ruler of the lightweight division, former WBA champion Gervonta “Tank” Williams.

This was a close fight that also had controversy. The fight scores were close, but in the 9^th round, Tank decided to take a knee. As per the New York State Athletic Commission rules (NYSAC), when Tank voluntarily took a knee, the referee should have called it a knockdown and begun a 10-count. The referee started the count but inexplicably stopped counting at three and did not rule it a knockdown. Then Tank immediately went to his corner and requested his corner-man wipe hair grease from his eyes.

As per the NYSAC, only the referee has the authority to pause the action during the fight. There was no penalty from the referee for that as well. Had the referee ruled it knockdown when Tank took a knee, Roach would have won a decision victory when the judges’ score cards where totaled.

The winner of Roach vs. Zepeda will be in a unique position as they will have the WBC title.

At the end of the match the bout was declared a draw or an even fight. Two judges’ scorecards were 114-114 and the third judge scored it 115-113 for Tank. Some thought Roach had done enough to win the match, while some thought Tank had won, and some agreed with the decision of the Judges that the fight was a draw.

Legal challenges to change the official decision by the Roach team were not successful. There was talk of a rematch with Davis, but that had not come to fruition because Tank decided to accept a “Big Money” match against popular Youtuber turned boxer, Jake Paul, for a reported $50 million on Netflix, which ended up being cancelled because of Davis’s legal troubles outside of boxing.

So, Roach moved on with his boxing career. Regardless of what anyone believed as to who had won the Tank vs. Roach fight, the publicity of the controversy brought Roach into the boxing spotlight, as an elite fighter.

With the possibility of a Tank rematch gone, Roach secured a high-profile fight against former WBA jr welterweight champion Isaac “Pitbill” Cruz in December of 2025. Cruz also had fought Tank back in 2021. He lost but gave Tank a very close fight as well. The Roach against Cruz was a good fight, but like the Tank fight, it ended up a draw or an even fight.

This draw was Roach’s second consecutive fight that ended in a draw and his third in as many fights. There was no serious talk of a rematch with Cruz. What would be Roach’s next move?

Reports are Tank will return to boxing in 2027, which would be two years of inactivity. The next big name in the lightweight division is Shakur Stevenson, who now holds the WBO Jr. welterweight title (140 lbs.) after defeating Teofimo Lopez. Shakur has previously expressed interest in returning to the 135 lbs. division. Shakur had also expressed interest in fighting Roach.

As of this writing, there are no further reports that Shakur has recently signed with the newly formed Zuffa Boxing and is pursuing high profile fights. The two big names in the lightweight division and two big names in the sport of boxing have, for now, left the lightweight division. Roach is now due to face top contender and exciting Mexican fighter William Zepeda.

Zepeda was undefeated and on the path to lightweight supremacy until he faced off with former WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson. Zepeda lost an exciting fight to Stevenson one year ago in New York for Shakur’s WBC lightweight title. The lighweight division is wide open.

Ray Muratalla is the IBF lightweight champion. Floyd Schoefield Jr. was elevated from interim WBA lightweight champion to full champion. This is because Gervonta “Tank” Davis did not defend against Schofield, his mandatory, for unknown reasons. The WBO lightweight champion is Abdullah Mason. The winner of Roach vs. Zepeda will be in a unique position as they will have the WBC title. The winner could unify against the other champions, challenge Shakur for his WBO 140 lbs. title, or hope that, if Tank returns to boxing, he offers them a lucrative fight.

All these scenarios are possible and exciting to think about. In order for that to happen, supremacy at lightweight must first be established with a win by the better fighter this Saturday.

Contact Writer: RL*********@*ol.com