Dan Rafael Clarifies WBC Role In Roach vs Zepeda Title Fight

Dan Rafael says bout was already negotiated before WBC involvement

Promoters had already agreed to a Lamont Roach Jr. versus William Zepeda fight before approaching the World Boxing Council to sanction it for the vacant lightweight title.

Dan Rafael clarified the situation on social media after early reports suggested the WBC had ordered the fight. The boxing insider, Rafael, stated that the sanctioning body did not direct the matchup and instead approved a proposal that had already been negotiated by the fighters’ teams.

“The WBC did NOT order the fight,” Rafael said on X today. “They came to the WBC with a done deal and asked for the fight to be approved for the vacant title.”

The explanation adds detail to how the bout between Lamont Roach Jr. and William Zepeda reached the sanctioning body. Both fighters were already among the top names in the WBC lightweight rankings, which allowed the organization to review and approve the proposal once it was submitted.

Rafael added that several possible matchups were discussed before the Roach-Zepeda fight was accepted for the vacant championship.

He also noted that the interim titleholder is often considered when a full championship becomes vacant. In this situation, the WBC approved the Roach-Zepeda proposal after it arrived as a completed deal between the fighters’ camps.

The title became available earlier this year after former champion Shakur Stevenson lost the WBC belt following his January unification fight with Teofimo Lopez. The sanctioning body then began the process of identifying a bout that would produce a new champion at lightweight.

Lamont Roach Jr. (25-1-2, 10 KOs) enters the proposed fight after fighting to back-to-back 12-round draws in title fights. Roach first battled Gervonta Davis to a draw before another stalemate last December against Isaac “Pitbull” Cruz, who now holds the WBC interim junior welterweight title.

The results have led some fans to question why Roach is being given another opportunity to fight for a vacant lightweight belt. William Zepeda (31-1, 27 KOs) comes into the bout after suffering the first defeat of his career against Shakur Stevenson, which has also fueled debate among fans about why both fighters were approved for the title fight.

If the bout moves forward as planned, the winner will become the next WBC lightweight champion and secure one of the division’s most visible belts.