William Zepeda reveals new strategy for Roach clash
The Mexican contender believes lessons from his loss to Shakur Stevenson have prepared him for the biggest fight of his career.
William Zepeda believes that his only professional loss to date has made him a much better boxer. He’s eager to prove this progress on August 1, when he’ll face Lamont Roach Jr. for the vacant WBC lightweight title.
After giving Shakur Stevenson his toughest test last year, William Zepeda used the past year to correct his mistakes. He worked on both his technique and his overall approach. Instead of focusing solely on punch volume, he focused on controlling his emotions during a fight so that he could fight with more patience.
“More than anything, it was controlling my emotions, not getting desperate, knowing how to manage the pace of the fight. Those are very important things. You have to stay calm because one combination can get through if you lose your composure. Those were things I worked on in this camp”
he said.
However, these changes aren't limited to training alone. After his loss to Shakur Stevenson, William Zepeda took a short break. Afterward, he and his team developed completely new strategies for how he could continue to work on his game even outside of training camp. Many things were adapted to his needs and tested. These insights should help him cope with Lamont Roach Jr., who is considered one of the best counter-punchers in the lightweight division. That’s why they’ve developed a different strategy.
“We have to apply intelligent pressure, not just pressure for the sake of throwing punches because Roach’s style works well against fighters who are constantly punching. We have to work upstairs, work downstairs, put our combinations together and not stay in one place. Any opening you give Roach, that’s where he can start taking control with his sharp counterpunching”
said William Zepeda.
However, that usually isn’t enough against someone who can counter as well as Lamont Roach Jr.. William Zepeda can’t afford to give him any leeway and must minimize the margin for error as much as possible.
This fight offers William Zepeda a good opportunity to prove that his loss to Shakur Stevenson wasn’t a step backward, but rather a step forward in his career. If he executes everything as he’s planned, he might just become the new world champion.
I think the approach sounds very good at first glance. I’m especially curious to see if he can manage to control his emotions so he doesn’t rush into the offensive too quickly. I’m looking forward to the fight and hope it will be an exciting showdown.