Notebook: Roach vs. Zepeda for WBC 135 title official for Aug. 1
WBC orders Mikaelian-Benavidez; Katie Taylor gets wish for Croke Park farewell fight; Mercado inks new promotional deal; Verhoeven interview; Han, Serrano retain belts; Quick hits; Show & tell double
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Lamont Roach Jr.-William Zepeda is official.
In a fight that has been agreed to for months, they will square off for the vacant WBC lightweight title in the headliner of a Golden Boy card on Aug. 1 at Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, it was announced on Wednesday.
While the card will headline on DAZN, where all Golden Boy cards are shown, it will also be simulcast on TNT in the United States as the second installment of the recently announced series “The Fight,” on which one DAZN card per month will also air live on the linear cable channel. In addition, it will also air on TNT sister channel truTV.
Roach, more boxer than puncher, against all-out brawler Zepeda is one of the more attractive fights that can be made in the division and they will battle for the 135-pound title that the WBC stripped from Shakur Stevenson in February in a dispute over unpaid sanctioning fees.
The co-feature will be formally announced at a later date but, according to sources with knowledge of the plans, it will be IBF lightweight titlist Raymond Muratalla (24-0, 17 KOs), 29, of Fontana, California, in his second defense against former junior lightweight titlist Robson Conceicao (21-3-1, 10 KOs), 37, the three-time Brazilian Olympian and 2016 gold medalist.
