What to do on a Saturday night during an extended holiday weekend stateside without a UFC card to watch? For those of you thinking that your options are limited on the Saturday after the Fourth of July, fear not, because the proverbial cupboard is far from bare.
With very little in the way of MMA action taking place this week, boxing is on the menu for a packed Saturday night of a firecracker weekend. Oscar de la Hoya‘s packed some extra fireworks for your enjoyment this time around, and he’s setting them off inside Toyota Arena in Ontario, CA.
Golden Boy Boxing returns to DAZN this Saturday evening on the West Coast for a seven-fight card. Live coverage kicks off at 8 pm ET/ 5 pm PT.
Zepeda Squares Off Against Cabrera in Headlining Bout Saturday
At the top of Saturday’s bill in California is a bout in the lightweight division between top-10 contenders. Undefeated No. 1 ranked contender William Zepeda (30-0, 26 KOs) meets up with WBA No. 10 contender and WBO No. 9 contender Giovanni Cabrera (22-1, 7 KOs) in the Golden Boy main event. Although no title is at stake here, this headliner is an advertised maximum of 12 rounds at three minutes per round to close the show.
https://twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing/status/1807865219001004038
Fighter Comparison and Betting Odds
Heading into this main attraction on Saturday night, William Zepeda stands as the taller man at 5-foot-9, compared to the 5-foot-8 frame of Giovanni Cabrera. The latter owns a 1.2-inch reach advantage (70.9 inches to 69.7 inches) over the former going into fight night.
Currently, the oddsmakers have William Zepeda installed as a -1200 favorite on the money line, with Giovanni Cabrera countering as a +700 underdog. If you plan on betting on this or any other fight happening this weekend in combat sports, please wager responsibly.
Zepeda Looking to Remain Unbeaten Saturday Night
William Zepeda, the No. 1 contender in the WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF lightweight rankings, as well as the No. 3 contender in The Ring Magazine lightweight rankings, has yet to lose thus far in his pugilism career. Most recently, he bested Maxi Hughes (26-7-2, 5 KOs) by way of TKO at the end of the fourth round on March 16.
Zepeda is fighting on the same night that Shakur Stevenson will at Prudential Center in Newark, NJ. Thus, it stands to reason that a fight between Zepeda and the WBC Lightweight Champion could be in the offing if both men secure victories this weekend.
The WBC’s top contender spoke on the possibility of a tilt between himself and the titleholder in the aftermath of his fight versus Hughes.
“I want the big names in boxing,” Zepeda said, through his translator. “We have to recognize that Shakur is one of those big names. I want to show what I’m about and what I’m able to do. I believe that Shakur is that person that I need to prove for me to get there.”
Zepeda boasts an undefeated professional record going into this one, so he’s more than earned the right to challenge for multiple belts should he get his hand raised over the weekend.
Cabrera Up For the Challenge
In the other corner, Giovanni Cabrera, the No. 10 contender in the WBA and No. 9 contender in the WBO, has gone 4-1 in his last five bouts. Last time out, he returned to the win column thanks to a unanimous decision victory over Ricardo Quiroz (13-4, 7 KOs) after 10 rounds during the Easter weekend on March 30.
Any number of would-be adversaries have been dodging a date with William Zepeda, but not Giovanni Cabrera. He talked about accepting the assignment that Zepeda presents with BoxingScene.
“I think some people are looking for safe ways to [the] title and I’ve made a reputation for myself,” Cabrera mentioned, “although many people may or may not know [I’ve beaten] seven undefeated fighters coming up, three of them southpaws. Ray Lampkin Jr., who was an Olympic alternate, Elijah Pierce, you know, those wins have aged well. Luis Porozo was 14-0 when I fought him. I’ve been put in these positions before, and this is what it takes.”
Will Giovanni Cabrera knock William Zepeda from the ranks of the unbeaten? Tune in and find out.
Analysis, Film Study, and Prediction
These guys are evenly matched. Both fighters are southpaws.
Zepeda Can Tire Out Anybody
With William Zepeda’s gameplan being predicated on volume of strikes, he can work any opponent to the point of exhaustion. One need look no further than his fight against Maxi Hughes from March.
Throughout the fight (for as long as it lasted,) Zepeda wore Hughes down, causing the reddening of one of Hughes’ eyes during the third round of a scheduled 12. Even when Hughes made an effort to try and block a punch from Zepeda, he still absorbed some of the blow.
Upon Hughes receiving the brunt of a barrage of shots in round four, his cornermen saved him between rounds. If William Zepeda makes Giovanni Cabrera’s gas tank reach empty, his night of work will be an easy one again this weekend.
Cabrera Knows How to Wobble Fighters
In the other corner, Giovanni Cabrera has been known to hunt for knockdowns, as illustrated in his 2022 fight vs. Gabriel Flores. Right after the command to fight was given in round one, Cabrera unloaded a two-punch combination to sit Flores down at the seven-second mark of the period.
Despite Flores rising to his feet, he absorbed a hook, knocking him off-balance against the ring ropes later in round one before getting put on the mat in the fifth round, ultimately leading to a unanimous decision win after 10 rounds. Giovanni Cabrera can score a colossal upset if he beats William Zepeda to the punch.
Final Thoughts
While there are other boxing matches going on this weekend, the Golden Boy main event looks to be a rather entertaining affair. Don’t miss it.
Prediction: William Zepeda by Fourth-Round Knockout.
