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A variety of gifted younger fighters are in place to grow to be the face of Mexican boxing when Canelo Alvarez fades from the scene. Emanuel Navarrete, Isaac Cruz and Jaime Munguia are only a few of them.
One of the best candidate could be 135-pound William Zepeda, who’s scheduled to face intelligent Maxi Hughes on Saturday at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas (DAZN).
Followers are falling in love with Zepeda’s seek-and-destroy, volume-punching model and he’s getting outcomes, which is why he’s ranked No. 1 by two sanctioning our bodies and respiration down the necks of the highest lightweights.
The 27-year-old’s model isn’t difficult: He outworks opponents in coaching camp – he appears to have inexhaustible stamina — after which does the identical within the ring, the place he has set eye-popping punch statistic information.
In different phrases, he throws punches relentlessly till his opponents can now not defend themselves and are stopped or he wins a one-sided determination.
His machine-like effort in a unanimous-decision victory over former titleholder Joseph Diaz Jr. in October 2022 stands out: He threw a division-record 1,536 punches – 128 per spherical – in accordance with CompuBox.
He has averaged 99.2 punches thrown per spherical over his final 10 fights, 42.1 greater than the division common.
And he doesn’t merely wing energy shot after energy shot like some quantity punchers: 787 of the punches he threw towards Diaz had been jabs, which means his strategy to boxing is extra methodical than reckless.
“There have been numerous feedback on social media that thought [Diaz] was my check,” Zepeda mentioned via a translator instantly after his victory. “I believe I handed the remaining with excellence. I’m prepared for the most effective at 135 kilos.”
That appeared much more apparent in his subsequent two fights, during which his brutal ways and punching energy had been on full show
The 27-year-old from the Toluca space used principally vicious physique photographs to drop contender Jaime Arboleda thrice and stop him in two rounds in April of final 12 months and delivered a horrible beating in his sixth-round stoppage of former title challenger Mercito Gesta in September.
He has been as dominating as any fighter over the previous few years.
“I needed to struggle a man with expertise,” mentioned Zepeda, referring to Gesta. “He gave that to me. I’m going to maintain happening my technique to changing into a world champion.”
The subsequent step for Zepeda is proving he can proceed to succeed towards next-level opposition.
Hughes (26-6-2, 5 KOs) doesn’t fall into that class however he made a powerful assertion in his most up-to-date struggle, a disputed majority determination loss to former champion George Kambosos Jr. final July.
If Zepeda has his hand raised, subsequent up could possibly be one of many massive boys: the Gervonta Davis-Frank Martin winner, the Vasiliy Lomachenko-Kambosos winner or Shakur Stevenson, amongst just a few different 135-pounders who’re deemed elite.
Solely then will we all know whether or not Zepeda can be part of the unique membership of Mexican superstars. He and his handlers consider he’s ready to take the subsequent step.
“We need to struggle all of the champions who’re on the market,” mentioned Jay Najar, Zepeda’s coach. “We’re prepared for every one in every of them.”
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