William Zepeda never let Joseph Diaz Jr. a chance.
The Mexican secured a unanimous decision against the £130 title winner in a 12-round £135 match on Saturday night at Pechanga Arena in San Diego, a breakthrough victory for Zepeda.
The official scores are 119-109, 119-109 and 118-110, one way higher than Diaz’s loss to undisputed champion Devin Haney in December.
Zepeda (27-0, 23 KOs) looked sublime, overwhelming Diaz (32-3-1, 15 KOs) with relentless, punishing pressure from the opening bell to the end of the match.
Diaz was durable and had some good tackles – including a big hit that injured Zepeda in the sixth round – but he couldn’t keep up with a punching machine like Zepeda.
Zepeda is ranked by three of the four main sanctions agencies that will join the fight. He is sure to climb the list after his strong performance.
“There are a lot of comments on social media that [Diaz] was my test,” Zepeda said afterward, according to RingTV.com. “I think I overcame the rest brilliantly. I’m ready for the best at 135 pounds.”
Diaz, a former US Olympic athlete, may be at a crossroads. He is 1-2-1 in his last four games.
