The main objective for this coming weekend when it comes to both favorites in the main events live on DAZN and ESPN is “just win baby”. (RIP Al Davis) That doesn’t mean there won’t be adversity after all this is boxing, but Luis Alberto Lopez and William Zepeda can’t afford to take a step back at their respected divisions. Standing in their way is a pair of vets in Mercito Gesta and Joet Gonzalez both solid boxer in their own right. On paper it appears both men will get their hands raised but we’ve seen plenty of upsets and much closer outcomes then we thought heading into fight night especially in 2023.
This boxing podcaster absolutely loves the development Luis Alberto Lopez has made to earn his position. A wild punching boxer in Lopez looked as though he had hit his career ceiling back in 2018-19. Luis suffered his first setback in his 13th pro fight losing to fellow prospect Abraham Montoya. Winning 5 in a row over mostly non-descript opponents, Lopez stepped up to the plate versus Ruben Villa in a clear 10-round decision loss.
11 victories and counting as Luis Alberto Lopez revived himself getting recent wins over Michael Conlan and Josh Warrington playing the spoiler in back to back events across the pond. The turning point had to be his upset of then rising prospect Gabriel Flores Jr. who was 20-0 at the time. Can Joet be a thorn in Lopez’s side by upending his fascinating journey to legit featherweight? Missing weight by a small margin on the first attempt doesn’t exactly exude confidence to answer yes.
Every time Joet Gonzalez has stepped way up in competition he has failed to get over the hump. To be fair losing UD’s to Shakur Stevenson and Emanuel Navarrete is not that big of a deal. Plus, his loss to Isaac Dogboe was razor close if were being honest. Gonzalez’s best bet to win this fight is to use his advantages on the outside. Joet has a 70 inch reach compared to Lopez’s 66 ½ according to boxrec. Staying on the outside or at range behind his jab is the path to victory. Joet can’t stay in the same spot for too long which increases the chance of getting clipped with one of those looping punches.
Tying up in close counters would be wise as well. Joet needs to stick to setting up power punches with his jab and not getting greedy with combinations. This hack of a scribe does believe Gonzalez will have limited success throughout but especially in the first half. At the end of the day those wild leaping punches will land and change the fight for good. Although it doesn’t seem like it at times there is most definitely a method to Luis’s madness and he doesn’t get enough credit for his timing.
My Official Prediction is Luis Alberto Lopez by Unanimous Decision.
Besides the obvious style matchup between William Zepeda and Mercito Gesta many in the boxing world see this as almost a walkover for the Mexican native. Some have strangely wondered why this fight is happening, which can be explained in two words. Joseph Diaz. If Zepeda’s win over Diaz helped convince boxing fans he is a threat at the lightweight division then of course Mercito Gesta’s upset over Jo Jo is a good enough win for him to land this main event bout. From a two-way, all-action, go for broke type fight, Zepeda vs. Gesta fits the bill. It will be a battle of the southpaws and another test to see if Zepeda can pass.
Mercito Gesta is a dangerous fighter because of his awkward style on offense. Gesta doesn’t always throw enough punches instead looks for the power shots which is something he can’t do here. Mixing a blend of aggression all the way inside, using his feet on the outside circling looking to counter seems to be when Gesta is at his best. Rene Alvarado was able to push William Zepeda to an extent and he’s shown flaws defensively.
Speaking of defense head and upper body movement will be a key on for Gesta which will help set up counter hooks and straight left hands. Once Zepeda proves he can take what Gesta will be dishing out will see an even more assertive William as he goes for the kill. Every punch Zepeda throws has bad intentions and Gesta will need to use the whole ring on Saturday night. Beyond some of the early rounds, look for Zepeda to outwork and outpunch Gesta to the point of a possible stoppage.
My Official Prediction is William Zepeda by late TKO.
Side Note: The proven track record for prospect facing real test makes it always giving ShoBox a look see. In the main event Rafael Pedroza takes on Roman Cardenas, along with Cuello vs. Garcia and Rojas vs. Bustos.
Written by Chris Carlson Host/Producer of The Rope A Dope Radio Podcast Available at www.blogtalkradio.com/ropeadoperadio Follow on Twitter @RopeADopeRadio