Tag: Luis Alberto Lopez

Weekend Review: William Zepeda, Luis Alberto Lopez overwhelm opponents

Weekend Review: William Zepeda and Luis Alberto Lopez overwhelmed their opponents in separate locations over the weekend.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER
William Zepeda

It’s easy to understand why fans – particularly those from Zepeda’s native Mexico – are falling in love with him. Everyone adores a take-no-prisoners warrior who throws a crazy amount of punches, all of which are meant to inflict serious harm. That’s what we witnessed in it’s most brutal form on Saturday in California, where the 135-pound contender pummeled a good opponent in veteran Mercito Gesta until the carnage was stopped in the sixth round. The winner connected on 286 of a remarkable 618 punches in the five-plus rounds, according to CompuBox. More striking, 242 of the punches he landed were power shots, which is how he was able to break down a tough foe like Gesta. The formula could take Zepeda (29-0, 25 KOs) a long way. Can he beat the likes of 135-pound luminaries Devin Haney, Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Vasiliy Lomachenko? I have my doubts because of their special skill level. At the same time, history tells us that Zepeda’s pressure-fighting approach to the sport might be the style that could give slick technicians problems. Think Floyd Mayweather vs. Jose Luis Castillo. Let’s hope Zepeda gets the opportunity to face that type of opponent soon. He has earned it.

 

BIGGEST WINNER II
Luis Alberto Lopez

Lopez (29-2, 16 KOs) is similar to his countryman Zepeda, a fit, durable bruiser who outworks his opponents. The 126-pound titleholder did that again on Friday in Corpus Christi, Texas, delivering a unanimous-decision victory over determined, but overmatched veteran Joet Gonzalez. Lopez threw 881 punches (landing 195) over the 12 rounds, which is a busy night for almost anyone in the sport. The victory was his third in a row over quality opponents, following a decision over Josh Warrington to win his belt in December and a fifth-round knockout of Michael Conlan in his first defense in May. That’s the kind of run that gets the attention of pundits, fans and prospective opponents. One difference between Lopez and Zepeda? The 126-pound division isn’t nearly as top heavy as 135, meaning the IBF beltholder would have a good chance of beating any of his fellow titleholders – Rey Vargas (WBC), Leigh Wood (WBA) and Robeisy Ramirez (WBO) – and becoming a unified champion. Lopez has come a long way since he was outpointed by Ruben Villa in 2019.

 

BIGGEST LOSERS
Joet Gonzalez and Mercito Gesta

Mercito Gesta got caught in a storm Saturday night. Golden Boy Promotions

Gonzalez (26-4, 15 KOs) and Gesta (34-4-3, 17 KOs) probably will never win their biggest fights – if they get more of them – but you have to respect them. They both gave absolutely everything they had against overwhelming opposition over the weekend, which is all anyone can expect of a fighter. That’s little consolation for Gonzalez, who has now failed in three attempts to win major world titles. The 29-year-old Angeleno has become one of those fighters who is considered capable but not good enough to reach the pinnacle of the sport, a legacy that can haunt a boxer for the remainder of his days. Gesta won his first two fights after a 2½-year layoff, including an encouraging decision over former titleholder Joseph Diaz Jr. in March. However, a brutal knockout loss in his third fight on Saturday put an agonizing end to his momentum. And, at 35, one wonders how many more meaningful opportunities he’ll receive. We might’ve seen the last of the Filipino warrior as an elite fighter.

 

BIGGEST NO-BRAINER
Referee seminars

I spent a day at Jack Reiss’ recent three-day “Sole Arbiter” refereeing seminar in Ventura, California. My main take away? The conference or something like it should be mandatory for anyone who ends up as the third person in the ring, a sentiment expressed by every participant with whom I spoke that day. Reiss, fellow refs Russell Mora and Thomas Taylor, and guest speakers pack an impressive amount of material – power-point slides, video review and more – into 26 hours of instruction, providing both experienced and developing officials with the input they need to become better referees. To be clear: Many referees are good at what they do, particularly in jurisdictions that provide quality training and maintain high standards. However, even those officials can improve. And God knows that some refs are clueless because of a lack of universal standards and questionable selection processes, which is a frightening thought because the lives of the fighters are in their hands. If you want to realize your potential as a referee, find a way to get to “Sole Arbiter.” You’ll be inspired by the instruction and passion of everyone involved. And you’ll leave with more valuable tools than you came with. You owe it to yourself, you owe it to the boxers.

[lawrence-related id=38931,38920,38911]

Weekend Review: William Zepeda, Luis Alberto Lopez overwhelm opponents

Weekend Review: William Zepeda and Luis Alberto Lopez overwhelmed their opponents in separate locations over the weekend.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNER
William Zepeda

It’s easy to understand why fans – particularly those from Zepeda’s native Mexico – are falling in love with him. Everyone adores a take-no-prisoners warrior who throws a crazy amount of punches, all of which are meant to inflict serious harm. That’s what we witnessed in it’s most brutal form on Saturday in California, where the 135-pound contender pummeled a good opponent in veteran Mercito Gesta until the carnage was stopped in the sixth round. The winner connected on 286 of a remarkable 618 punches in the five-plus rounds, according to CompuBox. More striking, 242 of the punches he landed were power shots, which is how he was able to break down a tough foe like Gesta. The formula could take Zepeda (29-0, 25 KOs) a long way. Can he beat the likes of 135-pound luminaries Devin Haney, Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson and Vasiliy Lomachenko? I have my doubts because of their special skill level. At the same time, history tells us that Zepeda’s pressure-fighting approach to the sport might be the style that could give slick technicians problems. Think Floyd Mayweather vs. Jose Luis Castillo. Let’s hope Zepeda gets the opportunity to face that type of opponent soon. He has earned it.

 

BIGGEST WINNER II
Luis Alberto Lopez

Lopez (29-2, 16 KOs) is similar to his countryman Zepeda, a fit, durable bruiser who outworks his opponents. The 126-pound titleholder did that again on Friday in Corpus Christi, Texas, delivering a unanimous-decision victory over determined, but overmatched veteran Joet Gonzalez. Lopez threw 881 punches (landing 195) over the 12 rounds, which is a busy night for almost anyone in the sport. The victory was his third in a row over quality opponents, following a decision over Josh Warrington to win his belt in December and a fifth-round knockout of Michael Conlan in his first defense in May. That’s the kind of run that gets the attention of pundits, fans and prospective opponents. One difference between Lopez and Zepeda? The 126-pound division isn’t nearly as top heavy as 135, meaning the IBF beltholder would have a good chance of beating any of his fellow titleholders – Rey Vargas (WBC), Leigh Wood (WBA) and Robeisy Ramirez (WBO) – and becoming a unified champion. Lopez has come a long way since he was outpointed by Ruben Villa in 2019.

 

BIGGEST LOSERS
Joet Gonzalez and Mercito Gesta

Mercito Gesta got caught in a storm Saturday night. Golden Boy Promotions

Gonzalez (26-4, 15 KOs) and Gesta (34-4-3, 17 KOs) probably will never win their biggest fights – if they get more of them – but you have to respect them. They both gave absolutely everything they had against overwhelming opposition over the weekend, which is all anyone can expect of a fighter. That’s little consolation for Gonzalez, who has now failed in three attempts to win major world titles. The 29-year-old Angeleno has become one of those fighters who is considered capable but not good enough to reach the pinnacle of the sport, a legacy that can haunt a boxer for the remainder of his days. Gesta won his first two fights after a 2½-year layoff, including an encouraging decision over former titleholder Joseph Diaz Jr. in March. However, a brutal knockout loss in his third fight on Saturday put an agonizing end to his momentum. And, at 35, one wonders how many more meaningful opportunities he’ll receive. We might’ve seen the last of the Filipino warrior as an elite fighter.

 

BIGGEST NO-BRAINER
Referee seminars

I spent a day at Jack Reiss’ recent three-day “Sole Arbiter” refereeing seminar in Ventura, California. My main take away? The conference or something like it should be mandatory for anyone who ends up as the third person in the ring, a sentiment expressed by every participant with whom I spoke that day. Reiss, fellow refs Russell Mora and Thomas Taylor, and guest speakers pack an impressive amount of material – power-point slides, video review and more – into 26 hours of instruction, providing both experienced and developing officials with the input they need to become better referees. To be clear: Many referees are good at what they do, particularly in jurisdictions that provide quality training and maintain high standards. However, even those officials can improve. And God knows that some refs are clueless because of a lack of universal standards and questionable selection processes, which is a frightening thought because the lives of the fighters are in their hands. If you want to realize your potential as a referee, find a way to get to “Sole Arbiter.” You’ll be inspired by the instruction and passion of everyone involved. And you’ll leave with more valuable tools than you came with. You owe it to yourself, you owe it to the boxers.

[lawrence-related id=38931,38920,38911]

Luis Alberto Lopez withstands strong effort from Joet Gonzalez to retain title

Luis Alberto Lopez withstood a strong effort from Joet Gonzalez to retain his title by a unanimous decision Friday in Texas.

Luis Alberto Lopez had to work hard but he got the job done.

The 126-pound titleholder overcame a spirited effort from challenger Joet Gonzalez to retain his belt by a unanimous decision Friday night in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The official scores were 118-110, 117-111 and 116-112.

“We knew that Joet Gonzalez is a very dangerous fighter,” Lopez said. “He never stops attacking. He can take anything you throw at him. We knew that’s what he came to do and that he came with a lot of hunger to take the title away from me, but I also am very hungry to remain champion.

“… It was a very close fight. We know that Joet Gonzalez was coming forward. He wouldn’t take a step back. I know it was a tough fight, but I know that I won.”

Gonzalez fought with great determination and had many strong rounds but he couldn’t match the firepower of the more powerful Lopez, who was busier and clearly landed more punches.

According to CompuBox, Lopez landed 195 of 881 while Gonzalez connected on 146 of 670.

Neither fighter went down or was seriously hurt.

Lopez (29-2, 16 KOs) was making the second defense of the belt he won by outpointing Josh Warrington last December, making the Mexican a rising star.

Meanwhile, Gonzalez (26-4, 15 KOs) is becoming known as the guy who can’t get over the hump.

The Los Angeles fighter has now failed in three attempts to win a major world title, losing to champions Shakur Stevenson, Emanuel Navarrete and Lopez.

Gonzalez wasn’t pleased with himself afterward.

“I thought the scores should have been a little closer,” he said. “Overall, I am very disappointed in my performance. I felt that I could have done a lot better. By far, this is the worst performance of my title fights, even though I prepared to the fullest. I am truly disappointed in my performance.

“I felt like in the other world title fights I did better. I felt like I got hit less. I did feel like I landed some good shots, but I feel like I’ve could have done a lot better.”

In a preliminary fight, 154-pound contender Xander Zayas (17-0, 11 KOs) stopped Roberto Valenzuela Jr. (21-5, 20 KOs) in the fifth round of a scheduled 10-rounder.

Luis Alberto Lopez withstands strong effort from Joet Gonzalez to retain title

Luis Alberto Lopez withstood a strong effort from Joet Gonzalez to retain his title by a unanimous decision Friday in Texas.

Luis Alberto Lopez had to work hard but he got the job done.

The 126-pound titleholder overcame a spirited effort from challenger Joet Gonzalez to retain his belt by a unanimous decision Friday night in Corpus Christi, Texas.

The official scores were 118-110, 117-111 and 116-112.

“We knew that Joet Gonzalez is a very dangerous fighter,” Lopez said. “He never stops attacking. He can take anything you throw at him. We knew that’s what he came to do and that he came with a lot of hunger to take the title away from me, but I also am very hungry to remain champion.

“… It was a very close fight. We know that Joet Gonzalez was coming forward. He wouldn’t take a step back. I know it was a tough fight, but I know that I won.”

Gonzalez fought with great determination and had many strong rounds but he couldn’t match the firepower of the more powerful Lopez, who was busier and clearly landed more punches.

According to CompuBox, Lopez landed 195 of 881 while Gonzalez connected on 146 of 670.

Neither fighter went down or was seriously hurt.

Lopez (29-2, 16 KOs) was making the second defense of the belt he won by outpointing Josh Warrington last December, making the Mexican a rising star.

Meanwhile, Gonzalez (26-4, 15 KOs) is becoming known as the guy who can’t get over the hump.

The Los Angeles fighter has now failed in three attempts to win a major world title, losing to champions Shakur Stevenson, Emanuel Navarrete and Lopez.

Gonzalez wasn’t pleased with himself afterward.

“I thought the scores should have been a little closer,” he said. “Overall, I am very disappointed in my performance. I felt that I could have done a lot better. By far, this is the worst performance of my title fights, even though I prepared to the fullest. I am truly disappointed in my performance.

“I felt like in the other world title fights I did better. I felt like I got hit less. I did feel like I landed some good shots, but I feel like I’ve could have done a lot better.”

In a preliminary fight, 154-pound contender Xander Zayas (17-0, 11 KOs) stopped Roberto Valenzuela Jr. (21-5, 20 KOs) in the fifth round of a scheduled 10-rounder.

Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Joet Gonzalez: Date, time, how to watch, background

Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Joet Gonzalez: Date, time, how to watch, background.

Luis alberto lopez will defend his 126-pound TITLE against joet gonzlaez on friday IN TEXAS.

LUIS ALBERTO LOPEZ (28-2, 16 KOs)
VS. JOET GONZALEZ (26-3, 15 KOs)

  • Date: Friday, Sept. 15
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, Texas
  • TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
  • Division: Featherweight (126 pounds)
  • At stake: Lopez’s IBF title
  • Odds: Lopez 6-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Pound-for-pound: None
  • Also on the card: Xander Zayas vs. Roberto Valenzuela Jr., junior middleweights; Jamaine Ortiz vs. Antonio Moran, lightweights
  • Prediction: Lopez UD
  • Background: Lopez made a splash by outpointing Josh Warrington to take the Englishman’s title last December in Leeds and then proved it was no fluke by stopping veteran Michael Conlan in five rounds on May 27, his fourth knockout in his last five fights. The 30-year-old Mexican last lost in 2019, when Ruben Villa defeated him by a unanimous decision. He’s 11-0 since the setback, with eight KOs. Gonzalez is a slick, tough technician who has failed in two attempts to win a 126-pound world title, losing a one-sided decisions to Shakur Stevenson in 2019 and Emanuel Navarrete in 2021. The 29-year-old from Los Angeles is 2-1 since, including a split-decision loss to Isaac Dogboe in July of last year. He bounced back to easily outpoint Enrique Vivas on April 1.

[lawrence-related id=37555,34680,31672]

Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Joet Gonzalez: Date, time, how to watch, background

Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Joet Gonzalez: Date, time, how to watch, background.

Luis alberto lopez will defend his 126-pound TITLE against joet gonzlaez on friday IN TEXAS.

LUIS ALBERTO LOPEZ (28-2, 16 KOs)
VS. JOET GONZALEZ (26-3, 15 KOs)

  • Date: Friday, Sept. 15
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, Texas
  • TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
  • Division: Featherweight (126 pounds)
  • At stake: Lopez’s IBF title
  • Odds: Lopez 6-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Pound-for-pound: None
  • Also on the card: Xander Zayas vs. Roberto Valenzuela Jr., junior middleweights; Jamaine Ortiz vs. Antonio Moran, lightweights
  • Prediction: Lopez UD
  • Background: Lopez made a splash by outpointing Josh Warrington to take the Englishman’s title last December in Leeds and then proved it was no fluke by stopping veteran Michael Conlan in five rounds on May 27, his fourth knockout in his last five fights. The 30-year-old Mexican last lost in 2019, when Ruben Villa defeated him by a unanimous decision. He’s 11-0 since the setback, with eight KOs. Gonzalez is a slick, tough technician who has failed in two attempts to win a 126-pound world title, losing a one-sided decisions to Shakur Stevenson in 2019 and Emanuel Navarrete in 2021. The 29-year-old from Los Angeles is 2-1 since, including a split-decision loss to Isaac Dogboe in July of last year. He bounced back to easily outpoint Enrique Vivas on April 1.

[lawrence-related id=37555,34680,31672]

Fight Week: Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Joet Gonzalez, William Zepeda vs. Mercito Gesta on tap

Fight Week: Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Joet Gonzalez and William Zepeda vs. Mercito Gesta highlight a busy weekend.

FIGHT WEEK

Luis alberto lopez will defend his 126-pound belt against joet gonzlaez on friday. on saturday, william zepeda will return against mercito gesta

LUIS ALBERTO LOPEZ (28-2, 16 KOs)
VS. JOET GONZALEZ (26-3, 15 KOs)

  • Date: Friday, Sept. 15
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, Texas
  • TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
  • Division: Featherweight (126 pounds)
  • At stake: Lopez’s IBF title
  • Odds: Lopez 6-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Pound-for-pound: None
  • Also on the card: Xander Zayas vs. Roberto Valenzuela Jr., junior middleweights; Jamaine Ortiz vs. Antonio Moran, lightweights
  • Prediction: Lopez UD
  • Background: Lopez made a splash by outpointing Josh Warrington to take the Englishman’s title last December in Leeds and then proved it was no fluke by stopping veteran Michael Conlan in five rounds on May 27, his fourth knockout in his last five fights. The 30-year-old Mexican last lost in 2019, when Ruben Villa defeated him by a unanimous decision. He’s 11-0 since the setback, with eight KOs. Gonzalez is a slick, tough technician who has failed in two attempts to win a 126-pound world title, losing a one-sided decisions to Shakur Stevenson in 2019 and Emanuel Navarrete in 2021. The 29-year-old from Los Angeles is 2-1 since, including a split-decision loss to Isaac Dogboe in July of last year. He bounced back to easily outpoint Enrique Vivas on April 1.

 

RAFAEL PEDROZA (15-0, 11 KOs)
VS. RAMON CARDENAS (22-1, 11 KOs)

  • Date: Friday, Sept. 15
  • Time: 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Boeing Center at Tech Port, San Antonio
  • TV/Stream: Showtime
  • Division: Junior featherweight (122 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Odds: NA
  • Pound-for-pound: None
  • Also on the card: Mirco Cuello vs. Rudy Garcia, featherweights
  • Prediction: Pedroza UD
  • Background: Pedroza and Cardenas will fight in the main event on “ShoBox: The New Generation.” Pedroza, 26, is an unbeaten prospect from Panama who will be making his debut in the United States. He is skillful and has punching power, although he has failed to stop his last three opponents. He is coming off a unanimous decision over Yerny Betancourt on May 6. Pedrozo is ranked No. 5 by the WBA. Cardenas is a capable boxer out of San Antonio, meaning he’ll be fighting in front of his hometown fans. The 27-year-old last fought on May 26, when he stopped journeyman Rodrigo Guerrero in two rounds. Cardenas’ only loss came in 2017, when he lost a majority decision to journeyman Danny Flores. He has won 10 consecutive fights since, four by knockout.

 

WILLIAM ZEPEDA (28-0, 24 KOs)
VS. MERCITO GESTA (34-3-3, 17 KOS)

  • Date: Saturday, Sept. 16
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Commerce Casino, Commerce, California
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Lightweight (135 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Odds: Zepeda 7½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Pound-for-pound: None
  • Also on the card: Victor Morales vs. Edwin Palomares, featherweights; Yokasta Valle vs. Maria Santizo, strawweights (for Valle’s IBF and WBO titles)
  • Prediction: Zepeda KO 9
  • Background: Zepeda is moving rapidly toward his first title shot. The skillful, volume-punching southpaw from Mexico has been untouchable against solid opposition, including a one-sided decision over former titleholder Joseph Diaz Jr. last October. He threw a lightweight-record 1,536 punches in that fight, according to CompuBox. He followed that with a second-round knockout of overmatched Jaime Arboleda on April 29. The 27-year-old is ranked by all four major sanctioning bodies, as high as No. 2 by the WBA. Gesta, a 35-year-old former title challenger, is battling to get back into contention. The Filipino southpaw is 2-0 since returning from a 2½-year layoff, defeating Joel Diaz Jr. by a unanimous decision and then getting past Joseph Diaz Jr. by a split decision on March 18. The latter fight was at 140 pounds.

 

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

FRIDAY

  • Angel Fierro vs. Brayan Zamarripa, lightweights, Tijuana, Mexico (DAZN)

[lawrence-related id=37555,31672,37105,37098,36209]

Fight Week: Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Joet Gonzalez, William Zepeda vs. Mercito Gesta on tap

Fight Week: Luis Alberto Lopez vs. Joet Gonzalez and William Zepeda vs. Mercito Gesta highlight a busy weekend.

FIGHT WEEK

Luis alberto lopez will defend his 126-pound belt against joet gonzlaez on friday. on saturday, william zepeda will return against mercito gesta

LUIS ALBERTO LOPEZ (28-2, 16 KOs)
VS. JOET GONZALEZ (26-3, 15 KOs)

  • Date: Friday, Sept. 15
  • Time: 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, Texas
  • TV/Stream: ESPN, ESPN+
  • Division: Featherweight (126 pounds)
  • At stake: Lopez’s IBF title
  • Odds: Lopez 6-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Pound-for-pound: None
  • Also on the card: Xander Zayas vs. Roberto Valenzuela Jr., junior middleweights; Jamaine Ortiz vs. Antonio Moran, lightweights
  • Prediction: Lopez UD
  • Background: Lopez made a splash by outpointing Josh Warrington to take the Englishman’s title last December in Leeds and then proved it was no fluke by stopping veteran Michael Conlan in five rounds on May 27, his fourth knockout in his last five fights. The 30-year-old Mexican last lost in 2019, when Ruben Villa defeated him by a unanimous decision. He’s 11-0 since the setback, with eight KOs. Gonzalez is a slick, tough technician who has failed in two attempts to win a 126-pound world title, losing a one-sided decisions to Shakur Stevenson in 2019 and Emanuel Navarrete in 2021. The 29-year-old from Los Angeles is 2-1 since, including a split-decision loss to Isaac Dogboe in July of last year. He bounced back to easily outpoint Enrique Vivas on April 1.

 

RAFAEL PEDROZA (15-0, 11 KOs)
VS. RAMON CARDENAS (22-1, 11 KOs)

  • Date: Friday, Sept. 15
  • Time: 9:30 p.m. ET / 6:30 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Boeing Center at Tech Port, San Antonio
  • TV/Stream: Showtime
  • Division: Junior featherweight (122 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Odds: NA
  • Pound-for-pound: None
  • Also on the card: Mirco Cuello vs. Rudy Garcia, featherweights
  • Prediction: Pedroza UD
  • Background: Pedroza and Cardenas will fight in the main event on “ShoBox: The New Generation.” Pedroza, 26, is an unbeaten prospect from Panama who will be making his debut in the United States. He is skillful and has punching power, although he has failed to stop his last three opponents. He is coming off a unanimous decision over Yerny Betancourt on May 6. Pedrozo is ranked No. 5 by the WBA. Cardenas is a capable boxer out of San Antonio, meaning he’ll be fighting in front of his hometown fans. The 27-year-old last fought on May 26, when he stopped journeyman Rodrigo Guerrero in two rounds. Cardenas’ only loss came in 2017, when he lost a majority decision to journeyman Danny Flores. He has won 10 consecutive fights since, four by knockout.

 

WILLIAM ZEPEDA (28-0, 24 KOs)
VS. MERCITO GESTA (34-3-3, 17 KOS)

  • Date: Saturday, Sept. 16
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
  • Where: Commerce Casino, Commerce, California
  • TV/Stream: DAZN
  • Division: Lightweight (135 pounds)
  • At stake: No major titles
  • Odds: Zepeda 7½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
  • Pound-for-pound: None
  • Also on the card: Victor Morales vs. Edwin Palomares, featherweights; Yokasta Valle vs. Maria Santizo, strawweights (for Valle’s IBF and WBO titles)
  • Prediction: Zepeda KO 9
  • Background: Zepeda is moving rapidly toward his first title shot. The skillful, volume-punching southpaw from Mexico has been untouchable against solid opposition, including a one-sided decision over former titleholder Joseph Diaz Jr. last October. He threw a lightweight-record 1,536 punches in that fight, according to CompuBox. He followed that with a second-round knockout of overmatched Jaime Arboleda on April 29. The 27-year-old is ranked by all four major sanctioning bodies, as high as No. 2 by the WBA. Gesta, a 35-year-old former title challenger, is battling to get back into contention. The Filipino southpaw is 2-0 since returning from a 2½-year layoff, defeating Joel Diaz Jr. by a unanimous decision and then getting past Joseph Diaz Jr. by a split decision on March 18. The latter fight was at 140 pounds.

 

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

FRIDAY

  • Angel Fierro vs. Brayan Zamarripa, lightweights, Tijuana, Mexico (DAZN)

[lawrence-related id=37555,31672,37105,37098,36209]

Weekend Review: Leigh Wood, Alexis Rocha, Luis Lopez all give stirring performances

Weekend Review: Leigh Wood, Alexis Rocha and Luis Alberto Lopez all gave impressive performances on Saturday in separate locations.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNERS
Leigh Wood, Alexis Rocha, Luis Alberto Lopez

Wood, Rocha and Lopez gave impressive performances Saturday in separate locations. Wood (27-3, 16 KOs) stood out. First, he made a bold move by facing Maurcio Lara (26-3-1, 19 KOs) in an immediate rematch after Lara knocked him out in February. And, second, he agreed to go through with the fight even though Lara came in three-plus pounds overweight. The British star’s confidence paid off in a big way. He dropped and outclassed his Mexican counterpart to win a wide decision, regain the 126-pound title he lost in the first fight and reestablish himself as one of the best in his division in Manchester, England. Rocha (23-1, 15 KOs) bolstered his position as a legitimate 147-pound contender by methodically beating up and stopping capable Anthony Young (24-3, 8 KOs) in five rounds in Indio, California. He wants the winner of Terence Crawford-Errol Spence Jr. in his next fight. Could Rocha compete against such superstars? Well, he has earned the right to try. And 126-pound titleholder Lopez (28-2, 16 KOs) looked like a beast against Michael Conlan (18-2, 9 KOs), stopping the two-time Irish Olympian with a single blow in the fifth round in Conlan’s hometown of Belfast. Lopez, an awkward, but efficient offensive fighter, is a threat to anyone in the featherweight division.

RABBIT PUNCHES

The showdown between Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. is finally set for July 29 in Las Vegas. I wish the 30-somethings had fought a few years ago but I don’t want to dwell on the negative. They remain two of the best in the business. We should be celebrating. … Some might argue that Lara got what he deserved after missing weight by so much. No excuse is good enough. If you can’t make weight in one division, move up. He’s a dangerous fighter because of his power. He should do well at 130. … Lopez called out his fellow 126-pound champions (Wood, Rey Vargas and Robeisy Ramirez) after his victory. I think he could be a problem for anyone because of his style. … Conlan has been stopped in two of his last four fights. He might be finished as an elite fighter. …

Wood said after his victory that he’d like to face former titleholder Josh Warrington or one of the featherweight champions mentioned above. I would normally push for a title-unification bout but Wood vs. Warrington would be a massive event in the U.K. Remember, Warrington was stopped by Lara in 2021 and lost his belt to Lopez by a majority decision in December. I can see Wood taking that fight and then moving on to a unification bout. … Lawrence Okolie (19-1, 14 KOs) fell hard from the ranks of the unbeaten Saturday in England, losing a majority decision and his 200-pound title to countryman Chris Billam-Smith (18-1, 12 KOs) in a crazy fight. Okolie went down three times and lost two points for holding, which gave him no chance to win the fight. Judge Benjamin Rodriguez somehow scored it 112-112 in spite of the five points Okolie lost. Some have called Rodriguez’s scorecard “the worst of all time.” The other scores were more appropriate, 116-107 and 115-108.

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Weekend Review: Leigh Wood, Alexis Rocha, Luis Lopez all give stirring performances

Weekend Review: Leigh Wood, Alexis Rocha and Luis Alberto Lopez all gave impressive performances on Saturday in separate locations.

A critical look at the past week in boxing

BIGGEST WINNERS
Leigh Wood, Alexis Rocha, Luis Alberto Lopez

Wood, Rocha and Lopez gave impressive performances Saturday in separate locations. Wood (27-3, 16 KOs) stood out. First, he made a bold move by facing Maurcio Lara (26-3-1, 19 KOs) in an immediate rematch after Lara knocked him out in February. And, second, he agreed to go through with the fight even though Lara came in three-plus pounds overweight. The British star’s confidence paid off in a big way. He dropped and outclassed his Mexican counterpart to win a wide decision, regain the 126-pound title he lost in the first fight and reestablish himself as one of the best in his division in Manchester, England. Rocha (23-1, 15 KOs) bolstered his position as a legitimate 147-pound contender by methodically beating up and stopping capable Anthony Young (24-3, 8 KOs) in five rounds in Indio, California. He wants the winner of Terence Crawford-Errol Spence Jr. in his next fight. Could Rocha compete against such superstars? Well, he has earned the right to try. And 126-pound titleholder Lopez (28-2, 16 KOs) looked like a beast against Michael Conlan (18-2, 9 KOs), stopping the two-time Irish Olympian with a single blow in the fifth round in Conlan’s hometown of Belfast. Lopez, an awkward, but efficient offensive fighter, is a threat to anyone in the featherweight division.

RABBIT PUNCHES

The showdown between Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. is finally set for July 29 in Las Vegas. I wish the 30-somethings had fought a few years ago but I don’t want to dwell on the negative. They remain two of the best in the business. We should be celebrating. … Some might argue that Lara got what he deserved after missing weight by so much. No excuse is good enough. If you can’t make weight in one division, move up. He’s a dangerous fighter because of his power. He should do well at 130. … Lopez called out his fellow 126-pound champions (Wood, Rey Vargas and Robeisy Ramirez) after his victory. I think he could be a problem for anyone because of his style. … Conlan has been stopped in two of his last four fights. He might be finished as an elite fighter. …

Wood said after his victory that he’d like to face former titleholder Josh Warrington or one of the featherweight champions mentioned above. I would normally push for a title-unification bout but Wood vs. Warrington would be a massive event in the U.K. Remember, Warrington was stopped by Lara in 2021 and lost his belt to Lopez by a majority decision in December. I can see Wood taking that fight and then moving on to a unification bout. … Lawrence Okolie (19-1, 14 KOs) fell hard from the ranks of the unbeaten Saturday in England, losing a majority decision and his 200-pound title to countryman Chris Billam-Smith (18-1, 12 KOs) in a crazy fight. Okolie went down three times and lost two points for holding, which gave him no chance to win the fight. Judge Benjamin Rodriguez somehow scored it 112-112 in spite of the five points Okolie lost. Some have called Rodriguez’s scorecard “the worst of all time.” The other scores were more appropriate, 116-107 and 115-108.

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