The WBC belt became available after Shakur Stevenson moved up to 140 pounds earlier this year. Zepeda was the last fighter to challenge Shakur for the title and lost by a wide decision last July. By the time this fight takes place, Zepeda will have been out of the ring for almost a year.
Roach had even worse luck.
He appeared to hit a hit against Gervonta Davis in March 2025, only for referee Steve Willis to refuse to count it. The fight ended in a draw, costing Roach what many considered the biggest win of his career. He then fought Isaac Cruz and drew again in December after being knocked out in the third round.
Now, both fighters are pushed back into the world title fight with an empty belt.
That has become common in boxing. One fighter lost to the champion. Another comes from a controversial topic. The belt comes off. Suddenly, everyone is fighting for the world title again.
It is reported that the final location has not been finalized, although Mandalay Bay is considered the preferred location.
It’s the ultimate failed scenario that makes you look at sports and shake your head.
The lightweight division operates on a somewhat strange, counterintuitive loop. You have one guy who hasn’t won a fight in his last two outings, and another guy who ended up losing his memory in the ring. However, they are fighting for the green and gold world belt.
The situation of Lamont Roach is strange. How many fighters in boxing history can say that they failed to win two consecutive world title fights and were awarded a third shot in a row?
He moved up to 135 and scored a knockout against Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis in March 2025. He then moved up to 140 and scored another match against Pitbull Cruz in December.
In the traditional sports ecosystem, you either go back to the drawing board or fight the cut. In boxing, he gets his third consecutive crack at the world title, this time down to 135. It’s an incomparable chance to make a game.
Then look at William Zepeda. Shakur Stevenson gave him a 12 round boxing lesson in July 2025. Not only did he lose; he was put on the back foot and lost a wide unanimous decision.
Instead of forcing Zepeda to rebuild, beat a top contender, and prove he can handle elite moves, he gets a one-year layoff and goes back to fighting for the same belt Shakur just dropped. You get the real benefit of having the champion drop a class.
This is what happens when sanctioning bodies care more about raising money for sanctions than maintaining the integrity of their ranks. When Shakur left to move to 140, the WBC scrambled to fill the void and immediately looked to the top names available, regardless of their recent momentum.
It turns the status of “world champions” into a temporary gimmick. It’s a very competitive contest in terms of style, but the political mechanics that make it happen are completely backwards.
