RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesLAS VEGAS, NEVADA - JULY 30: Lamont Roach Jr., Oscar De La Hoya and Willam Zepeda pose for a photo at a press conference at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas on July 30, 2026 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Cris Esqueda/Golden Boy/Getty Images)
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Lamont Roach vs. William Zepeda can't be a bad fight, can it? That's my thought and my expectation, but this is boxing and anything can happen. That said, I can't think of a matchup that offers a higher probability of action. The two men clash on Saturday, August 1 in Las Vegas. Let's talk boxing.
Key Facts at a Glance
Date: Saturday, Aug. 1, 2026
Venue: The Theater at Virgin Hotels, Las Vegas
Title: Vacant WBC lightweight championship, 12 rounds
U.S. broadcast: TNT and truTV, 8 p.m. ET
Worldwide: DAZN, 1 a.m. BST
Records: Roach 25-1-3, 10 KOs · Zepeda 33-1, 27 KOs
What Time Does Lamont Roach Vs. William Zepeda Start?
Coverage begins at 8 p.m. ET on TNT and truTV, with DAZN carrying it worldwide at 1 a.m. BST. The card is the second installment of "The Fight," the monthly TNT Sports and DAZN series, promoted by Golden Boy in co-promotion with TGB Promotions and ProBox Promotions.
The belt is vacant because Shakur Stevenson was stripped in February after declining to pay a $120,000 sanctioning fee for a 140-pound title fight in which the WBC belt was not on the line. Tickets run $300 down to $30 through AXS and Golden Boy.
What Is The Full Card For Roach Vs. Zepeda?
Raymond "Danger" Muratalla, 24-0 with 17 knockouts, makes the second defense of his IBF lightweight title against former world champion Robson "O Brabo" Conceição, 21-3-1 with 10 knockouts, in the co-feature. Los Angeles native Manny "Chato" Robles Jr., 13-0 with five knockouts, also returns on the card.
Roach has become one of my favorite fighters to watch. He's among the slickest boxers in the sport. The 30-year-old from Washington D.C. possesses the rare ability to stand in the pocket while maintaining strong defense and counter-punching opportunities.
His opponent will test that compound skill as much as anyone he's ever faced. Zepeda throws, as Roach put it, "a billion punches" and he's always trying to advance and impose his will on his opponent. Which one will stand their ground? Can Roach or Zepeda make the other back up. I can't wait to find out. If this goes the way I know it could go, we might be looking at a Fight of the Year candidate.
What Did Lamont Roach Say About The Gervonta Davis Draw?
I asked Roach how he stayed so composed after a decision most of the sport scored his way.
"I guess this is just a poker face because I was pissed, honestly," he said. "And then just settling into it, just like, it's just like a longer lasting effect too, because when you look at it in the business aspect, and you look at it in the accolade aspect, you look at it in the life aspect, it's just like a lot of things were unfairly unchecked for me."
"So it was more so like something I had to sulk in for a few days. And then eventually get over it."
He was blunt about the sport itself. "I know boxing is a effed up sport. It's not the first time that happened. And it just is way more messed up when you on the short end of the stick. So it was just like, me reacting a certain way wouldn't have made things better. I was shocked. I was upset and disappointed, but can't cry with spilled milk, man."
Then: "I'm destined for this. I know that's 100% why I'm here today."
He does not lump the Isaac Cruz draw in with it. "The Gervonta fight wasn't close like that to me. I think I had an 8-4 to be honest. So this one was more 7-5, 6-6, whatever." On Cruz specifically: "I just thought it was a clear, close win for me."
Does Lamont Roach Feel Pressure Against William Zepeda?
"I don't necessarily feel pressure because I know what kind of fighter I am, what I'm capable of," Roach said. "Obviously, I don't think nobody can beat me, but there's a little sentiment that we have to go out there with a chip on our shoulder."
Then he said the line that should follow him into Saturday.
"Maybe boxing isn't ready for a change in the guard or something like that. They're not ready to let a new player up at the top yet. I don't know. It's something. So we pay attention and we take note. We're not oblivious. We'd be ignorant to not think that we at least have to do something, make an adjustment or whatever the case may be. So that's all taken into account for our game plan this weekend."
"And on top of that, it just made me go harder, man, made me go harder. Capitalizing on top of things that we need to and be precise within the round and make sure that the round is won clearly."
On whether judges and the public miss inside work, he did not hesitate. "It's subjective. And when it comes to that, it's like, whose hands is the subjectiveness landing?"
He applied it directly to Zepeda: "He throws a billion punches. Who's to say I'm not blocking, catching, slipping? Who's to say those punches are affecting me or are effective? Who's to say I'm not doing beautiful work countering, and having the ability to stay there?"
What Is Lamont Roach's Best Weapon?
Asked to strip his game down to one thing, Roach did not name a punch.
"IQ, brain. I can't strip it all the way, but I think mainly it's here. It's up top."
He backed it with a detail that has gone almost entirely unreported. "I broke my hand in the fifth round and I fought Pitbull and I had to adjust. I had to. Because if you don't adjust, you panic and then you lose. And that's kind of what happened."
On the game plan against a volume puncher, he flipped the premise entirely. ...
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