Fight Week: Rising 135-pounder William Zepeda to return against Jaime Arboleda

FIGHT WEEK

Unbeaten 135-pound contender William Zepeda is scheduled to take on Jaime Arboleda on Saturday night in the Dallas area.

WILLIAM ZEPEDA (27-0, 23 KOS)
VS. JAIME ARBOLEDA (19-2, 14 KOS)

  • When: Saturday, April 29

  • Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)

  • Where: College Park Center, Arlington, Texas

  • TV/Stream: DAZN

  • Division: Lightweight (135 pounds)

  • At stake: No major titles

  • Pound-for-pound ranking: None

  • Odds: NA

  • Also on the card: Diego De La Hoya vs. Victor Morales, featherweights; Raul Curiel vs. Frederick Lawson, welterweights

  • Prediction: Zepeda KO 7

  • Background: Zepeda is one of the fastest rising lightweights in the world. The aggressive, hard-punching Mexican has defeated a series of solid opponents over the past few years, including a wide decision over former 130-pound titleholder Joseph Diaz Jr. last October in San Diego. The 26-year-old from Mexico City has fought at 135 pounds his entire pro career, which started in 2015. Zepeda is ranked by three of the four major sanctioning bodies, all in the top six. Arboleda is a 28-year-old boxer-puncher from Panama who has being fighting primarily at junior lightweight. He fell short in his biggest fight, an 11th-round knockout against Chris Colbert for a secondary 130-pound title in December 2020. However, he bounced back to win his next three fights, all in his native country. His latest victory was an eight-round decision over Jhonatan Arenas at slightly above 130 last August.

 

ALSO FIGHTING THIS WEEK

THURSDAY

  • Brian Ceballo vs. Edward Ulloa Diaz, junior middleweights, New York City (DAZN)

FRIDAY

  • Kim Clavel vs. Naomi Arellano Reyes, flyweights, Laval, Canada (FITE)

  • Jorge Mata vs. Mickey Roman, junior lightweights, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico (Canela TV)

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William Zepeda overwhelms Joseph Diaz Jr., wins wide decision

Story originally appeared on Boxing Junkie