WBC orders Zepeda vs Herrera title unification

The lightweight champions have until October 20 to agree

Frank Warren confirmed the rumors earlier today that the WBC has called for a lightweight title unification bout between world champion William Zepeda and interim world champion Jadier Herrera. Both fighters have until October 20 to agree to a bout.

After Shakur Stevenson moved up a weight class to fight Teofimo Lopez for the title, @Jadier Herrera was given the opportunity to face Ricardo Nunez for the interim title. He capitalized on this opportunity and forced his opponent to submit. The WBC ultimately stripped Shakur Stevenson of his title due to several unpaid sanctioning fees. Instead of immediately crowning Jadier Herrera world champion or sending him straight into a title bout, the organization decided to have William Zepeda and Lamont Roach Jr. compete for it.

William Zepeda is no easy opponent for anyone in the division. Jadier Herrera hasn’t defeated any real big names yet, but has consistently prevailed against more modest opponents. However, he definitely wants this fight, and who knows, maybe he’ll finally seize his chance. If William Zepeda can’t find someone else, Jadier Herrera should definitely get his shot at the title.

I think it was a good decision not to just hand the title to Jadier Herrera right away. If he wins the fight against William Zepeda, he’ll have earned it, but to be honest, I can’t really imagine that happening.