William Zepeda fired out a warning to the lightweight division, including one world champion in particular, following his impressive stoppage win over Maxi Hughes on Saturday.
The two men were fighting at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on a Golden Boy Promotions show, but Zepeda was in total control from the first bell.
Hughes displayed the courageous heart and bravery that he has displayed throughout his career, but after four rounds of punishment his corner decided enough was enough and pulled their man out of the fight.
The win saw Zepeda extend his unbeaten record to 30-0, with 26 of those wins coming by knockout, and speaking to FightHubTV after the fight, he sent out a stern warning to current WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson.
“I want the big names in boxing, I want to show what I’m about. I know that my style of boxing is perfect for Shakur. Throwing a lot of punches, making him confused, and pressuring him would make me victorious in this fight.”
Stevenson was last in action in November, with an underwhelming points win over Edwin De Los Santos, but it appears that a potential showdown with Zepeda would be guaranteed fireworks.
Zepeda’s win over Hughes was his third straight stoppage victory, following on from his knockouts over Mercito Gesta and Jaime Arboleda in 2023.
Hughes has now suffered back-to-back defeats after his loss to George Kambosos in July, though many onlookers still believe that he should have had his hand raised in that fight.