The WBC lightweight title, once held by Shakur Stevenson, officially has its next matchup.
According to reports from BoxingScene’s Lance Pugmire, Lamont Roach Jr. and William Zepeda are set to fight for the vacant WBC lightweight championship on August 1 in Las Vegas, with DAZN expected to carry the event. The bout reportedly could land at Mandalay Bay.
The title became available after Stevenson moved up to 140 pounds earlier this year and defeated Teófimo López to win the WBO junior welterweight belt. Days later, the World Boxing Council stripped Stevenson of his lightweight championship, citing sanctioning rules tied to him becoming a titleholder in another division.
Stevenson publicly blasted the move afterward, accusing the WBC of targeting him over sanctioning fees connected to the López fight. “100k to some crooks who don’t deserve it?” Stevenson wrote on social media. He later added: “Take your belt, it don’t make me.”
Now the organization is moving forward with two of its top-ranked contenders.
Zepeda enters the fight looking to rebound from the first loss of his professional career — a unanimous decision defeat to Stevenson last July. That fight exposed the limits of Zepeda’s pressure-heavy style against a defensive technician operating at an elite level. Even with a high-volume attack, Zepeda struggled to consistently land clean shots as Stevenson controlled distance and timing throughout the night.
Roach arrives with the momentum of a different kind. The Washington, D.C. fighter has remained unbeaten since 2019 and is coming off consecutive draws against Isaac Cruz and Gervonta Davis. His bout with Davis in particular generated heavy debate, with many viewers believing Roach had done enough to take the decision.
The path to this title fight started with Stevenson’s dominant performance against López at Madison Square Garden. Stevenson outboxed López over 12 rounds, won by unanimous decision, and became a four-division champion in the process. He controlled the fight behind a sharp jab and disciplined counterpunching, outlanding López by a wide margin.
“I picked him apart and did what I was supposed to do,” Stevenson said after the win. “This is the art of boxing — hit and don’t get hit and pick guys apart.”
