William Zepeda owes Jadier Herrera his first WBC title shot

William Zepeda’s first defence of the WBC lightweight title should come against Jadier Herrera, who has held the organisation’s interim belt since January. Zepeda became champion by beating Lamont Roach Jr. on points in a unanimous decision on August 1.

The WBC chose Zepeda and Roach to contest the vacant championship even though Herrera had already secured the interim title. Herrera earned that position by stopping Ricardo Núñez in the eighth round, after recovering from an early knockdown and gradually wearing down the more experienced Cuban.

A WBC divisional update in March stated that the winner of the Zepeda-Roach fight would meet Herrera. Unless that directive has been altered, the next step should be a consolidation bout between Zepeda and the interim champion rather than a voluntary defence against another contender.

Herrera would bring a significant physical challenge. The 23-year-old southpaw stands 5ft 11in and has stopped 16 of his 18 opponents. His difficult night against Núñez showed that he can recover under pressure before breaking down an experienced opponent, adding a different test for Zepeda after the champion’s points win over Roach.

Zepeda said after defeating Roach that his aim was to become undisputed, without identifying his next opponent. Andy Cruz has also entered the picture after publicly calling for a fight with the champion. Cruz was ranked No. 1 by the WBC following his third-round stoppage of Abraham Montoya in July. His Olympic pedigree and narrow defeat by IBF champion Raymond Muratalla have made him a prominent option at lightweight.

Cruz would offer a technical contest against Zepeda, with his counterpunching and long-range accuracy. However, his standing does not replace Herrera’s claim. Cruz received an IBF title opportunity in just his seventh professional fight and lost, while Herrera won the WBC interim championship and waited as Zepeda received another title opportunity after losing to Shakur Stevenson. If Zepeda chooses Cruz next, Herrera would need to step aside; otherwise, the WBC’s own order points to Herrera as the champion’s first defence.