Promoter Oscar De La Hoya says he wants to match William Zepeda with WBO lightweight champion Denys Berinchyk before going after Shakur Stevenson following Zepeda’s third round victory over Giovanni Cabrera last Saturday night at the Toyota Center in Ontario, California.
(Credit: Golden Boy Promotions/ Cris Esqueda)
It’s headed for the WBO route
Zepeda looked impressive, stopping Cabrera (22-2, 7 KOs) with a gutsy shot in the third. Cabrera says he misjudged the count and failed to stand up at the time. The referee waved it off when Cabrera got up for a ten count. The stoppage time was 1:58 in the third.
De La Hoya feels it is important for Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) to capture a world title before negotiating Shakur or another major fight. He doesn’t say who he’s referring to, but the top scorer will be Gervonta Davis.
De La Hoya’s company Golden Boy Promotions will have to act quickly if they want Berinchyk from Zepeda because Top Rank is looking at him in their will, #3 WBO Keyshawn Davis, who took a step towards getting that fight by defeating Miguel Madueno last Saturday night. .
Keyshawn Davis: Potential Roadblock
If Keyshawn Davis gets his hands on the WBO 135-lb title, it may seem impossible for Zepeda to get a chance to fight for the belt because Top Rank will keep him safe, matching him against surefire opponents like they did. he has been doing since he turned pro. They must know now that Keyshawn is in serious danger and may lose to Zepeda.
What Zepeda has going for him is that he is ranked #1 in the World Boxing Organization, so he should get a chance at Berinchyk before Keyshawn, but money talks, and if Top Rank is willing to pay big money for that fight, they will pay for it. find it.
“I think William Zepeda is one of the most exciting fighters today, especially at 135,” promoter Oscar De La Hoya told the media last Saturday night following William Zepeda’s third-round victory over Giovanni Cabrera in Ontario, California.
“I think I will face the WBO route [Denys] Berinchyk. I think that’s a big fight,” said De La Hoya when asked who Zepeda likes fighting for the world title in the lightweight category.
Berinchyk will be tough
Berinchyk (19-0, 9 KOs) will not be an easy mark for Zepeda, as he has outstanding skills and can win by outboxing him. In the 36-year-old Berinchyk’s last fight, he defeated Emanuel Navarrete via a twelve-round split decision on May 18 in a contest that was not close as the scores were decided by three judges.
“I think it will be a good fight for the fans. We’re going to take William Zepeda to the next level, and then follow the integration. It [Berinchyk] it might be a very easy fight to do, but it wouldn’t be an easy fight for Zepeda.”
De La Hoya is right. Berinchyk would not be an easy fight for Zepeda for the championship because he is a player who knows how to do it all and is on another level in terms of intelligence compared to Shakur Stevenson and Gervonta Davis. Vasily Lomachenko is very similar to Berinchyk in the skills department.
“I would like William Zepeda to be the world champion when he faces Shakur Stevenson and when he fights all the other guys,” said De La Hoya.
Zepeda must go the mandatory route to the WBO if he wants a title shot from Berinchyk.
“If it was up to me, I would fight for him again this year. He walked a few laps. He is clean and never cut. “He was back in the gym on Monday, so I think we have a star of tomorrow on our hands,” said De LaHoya.
Oscar hasn’t said what he’s aiming for in Zepeda’s next fight, but there are plenty of high-profile fights in the lightweight division that would be great.
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