Giovanni Cabrera outweighs William Zepeda by two pounds ahead of lightweight clash
Jul 5, 2024 • 4:00 PM ET
William Zepeda’s latest opportunity to affirm his position as the top lightweight title contender in the world is to defeat a crafty fighter who came in two pounds heavier than him at Friday’s weigh-in.
Giovanni Cabrera (22-1, 7 KOs) weighed in at 137 pounds – two pounds over the lightweight limit – but the side agreed to adjust the contract weight as a result. Zepeda (30-0, 26 KOs) weighed in at 135 ahead of Saturday night’s DAZN-streamed main event at Toyota Arena in Ontario, California.
The bout sets up Zepeda, with a victory, for shots at a slew of champions, including WBC champion Shakur Stevenson, who’s also fighting Saturday night across the country in Newark, N.J.
Champions Gervonta Davis and Vasiliy Lomachenko are in negotiations for a unification, the other belt is worn by Ukraine’s Denys Berinchyk. In other Ontario bouts, Angel Acosta (111.6) and Ricardo Rafael Sandoval (111.8) made the 112-pound limit for their co-main event, for the WBC silver flyweight title.
Also, Manuel Flores (17-1, 14 KOs) was a light 124.4 for his 129-pound contracted bout against Noel Arambulet (23-8, 8 KOs) and young welterweights Joel Iriarte (2-0, 2 KOs) and Yainel Alvarez (3-4-2, 1 KO) made weight.
12 rounds – lightweight
William Zepeda (135 pounds) v Giovanni Cabrera (137 pounds)
10 rounds – flyweight
Ricardo Rafael Sandoval (111.8) v Angel Acosta (111.6)
10 rounds – junior featherweight
Manuel Flores (124.4) v (128.8)
6 rounds – welterweight
Joel Iriate (146.2) v Yainel Alvarez (146.8)
10 rounds – junior welterweight
Alex Martin (141.6) v Pedro Campa (140.8)
10 rounds – junior featherweight
Gael Cabrera (123.5) v Mychaquell Shields (123.8)
6 rounds – junior lightweight
Joshua Garcia (132) v Jason Buenaobra (130.8)
4 rounds – junior middleweight
Anthony Saldivar (155.4) v Roman Canto (156)
4 rounds – junior lightweight
Daniel Luna (129.4) v Joseph Walker (132.8)
8 rounds – junior featherweight
Japhetlee Llamido (123.4) v Ryan Allen (122.8)
Lance Pugmire has been a full-time boxing writer for nearly 20 years, serving now as BoxingScene’s U.S. Senior Writer and assistant producer for ProBoxTV’s “BoxingScene Today.” Pugmire capped a near 20-year career at the Los Angeles Times (sports investigations, NHL/MLB beat work, law enforcement/courts and boxing/UFC) to join The Athletic, and then USA Today. Pugmire’s stint at The Times started with the first Israel Vazquez-Rafael Marquez fight and the Oscar De La Hoya-Floyd Mayweather Jnr then-record pay-per-view, leading through a slew of ringside assignments at major bouts, including Mayweather-Pacquiao, Mayweather-Canelo and the Canelo-Golovkin trilogy. Lance’s appreciation for boxing is rooted in his admiration and appreciation for the fighters, gladiators who have proven to be the most forthcoming and candid of all the athletes he has interviewed over a career dating to 1990. Lance was honored to be named the 2022 winner of the Boxing Writers Association of America Nat Fleischer Award for career excellence and he’s collected many BWAA writing awards in categories ranging from breaking news to deep-dive long features.
