The first names that come up when people talk about the lightweight division are Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, Shakur Stevenson and Vasiliy Lomachenko, all of whom are gifted and accomplished.

There are up-and-comers Frank Martin and Keyshawn Johnson, who appear to have unusual talent but are still in the process of proving they belong with the aforementioned stars.

Then there’s William Zepeda, who fights Jaime Arboleda on Saturday night at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas (DAZN).

Zepeda (27-0, 23 KOs) isn’t as flashy or athletic as some of the above. And he probably doesn’t have the punching power of Davis, who knocked out Ryan Garcia with a single body blow last Saturday in Las Vegas.

But the 26-year-old Mexican’s combination of overall skills, a world class jab, ability to hurt opponents and, perhaps most notably, his work rate make him an important wild card in the fascinating race to become the king of the deep 135-pound division.

Zepeda made a loud statement in his most recent fight, a break-through unanimous decision victory over former 130-pound champion Joseph Diaz Jr. last October.

He’s now ranked in the Top 6 by three of the four major sanctioning bodies (somehow unranked by the IBF).

“There were a lot of comments on social media that this was the toughest test of my career. I passed this test with flying colors and now I’m ready to face the best at 135 pounds,” Zepeda said after the victory over Diaz.

The scoring was an indication of Zepeda’a dominance, 119-109 (11 rounds to one), 119-109 and 118-110. The winner’s streak of 15 consecutive knockouts ended but that was due more to Diaz’s determination and sturdy chin than any deficiency on Zepeda’s part.

What stood out most afterward were astounding CompuBox numbers.

Zepeda broke the punch-counting outlet’s lightweight record for total punches thrown in a lightweight bout, 1,536 (landing 398). That’s 128 (33) per round. He also set a new 135-pound mark for jabs attempted, 787 (157).

CompuBox owner Bob Canobbio called Zepeda a “punching machine.”

“William Zepeda is not only busy, averaging 103.9 punches thrown per round [but] he’s accurate as well, landing 31.3 punches per round, nearly double the lightweight average of 16.3 landed per round,” said Canobbio, referring to the Zepeda fights CompuBox has worked.

That kind of punch volume could give even the best boxers difficulty. And it’s part of the reason that Zepeda’s handlers are so high on him.

“When you have the likes of Shakur Stevenson for instance who is calling out William Zepeda, you know that William Zepeda is doing something right,” said Oscar De La Hoya, his promoter. “William Zepeda is a fighter who is on his way up, he’s a fighter who’s undefeated, he’s obviously a fighter who is exciting to watch.

“… He’s obviously ready to step up.”

Indeed, if he can get past Arboleda (19-2, 14 KOs) and continue to win, it won’t be long before Zepeda has a chance to prove he belongs with the best.

[lawrence-related id=37038]

The first names that come up when people talk about the lightweight division are Gervonta Davis, Devin Haney, Shakur Stevenson and Vasiliy Lomachenko, all of whom are gifted and accomplished.

There are up-and-comers Frank Martin and Keyshawn Johnson, who appear to have unusual talent but are still in the process of proving they belong with the aforementioned stars.

Then there’s William Zepeda, who fights Jaime Arboleda on Saturday night at College Park Center in Arlington, Texas (DAZN).

Zepeda (27-0, 23 KOs) isn’t as flashy or athletic as some of the above. And he probably doesn’t have the punching power of Davis, who knocked out Ryan Garcia with a single body blow last Saturday in Las Vegas.

But the 26-year-old Mexican’s combination of overall skills, a world class jab, ability to hurt opponents and, perhaps most notably, his work rate make him an important wild card in the fascinating race to become the king of the deep 135-pound division.

Zepeda made a loud statement in his most recent fight, a break-through unanimous decision victory over former 130-pound champion Joseph Diaz Jr. last October.

He’s now ranked in the Top 6 by three of the four major sanctioning bodies (somehow unranked by the IBF).

“There were a lot of comments on social media that this was the toughest test of my career. I passed this test with flying colors and now I’m ready to face the best at 135 pounds,” Zepeda said after the victory over Diaz.

The scoring was an indication of Zepeda’a dominance, 119-109 (11 rounds to one), 119-109 and 118-110. The winner’s streak of 15 consecutive knockouts ended but that was due more to Diaz’s determination and sturdy chin than any deficiency on Zepeda’s part.

What stood out most afterward were astounding CompuBox numbers.

Zepeda broke the punch-counting outlet’s lightweight record for total punches thrown in a lightweight bout, 1,536 (landing 398). That’s 128 (33) per round. He also set a new 135-pound mark for jabs attempted, 787 (157).

CompuBox owner Bob Canobbio called Zepeda a “punching machine.”

“William Zepeda is not only busy, averaging 103.9 punches thrown per round [but] he’s accurate as well, landing 31.3 punches per round, nearly double the lightweight average of 16.3 landed per round,” said Canobbio, referring to the Zepeda fights CompuBox has worked.

That kind of punch volume could give even the best boxers difficulty. And it’s part of the reason that Zepeda’s handlers are so high on him.

“When you have the likes of Shakur Stevenson for instance who is calling out William Zepeda, you know that William Zepeda is doing something right,” said Oscar De La Hoya, his promoter. “William Zepeda is a fighter who is on his way up, he’s a fighter who’s undefeated, he’s obviously a fighter who is exciting to watch.

“… He’s obviously ready to step up.”

Indeed, if he can get past Arboleda (19-2, 14 KOs) and continue to win, it won’t be long before Zepeda has a chance to prove he belongs with the best.

[lawrence-related id=37038]