William Zepeda v Maxi Hughes - Tale of the Tape: Weight, height, reach, trainer & professional boxing records

We analyse the credentials and statistics of William Zepeda and Maxi Hughes as the two lightweight contenders get set for their WBA & IBF world title eliminator showdown in the early hours of 17th March.

Since undisputed champion, Devin Haney, moved up to 140lbs, the lightweight division has been in a state of flux.

The landscape is starting to look a little clearer as Gervonta Davis is now the sole WBA titlist, Shakur Stevenson has captured the vacant WBC strap and the WBO and IBF have ordered fights to determine their new champions.

When William Zepeda and Maxi Hughes face off in mid-March, at the Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, it is a bout which will have wide-reaching ramifications on the weight class.

The all-southpaw is an eliminator for the both the WBA and IBF, but which man will go on to challenge for world honours?

It's time to look at the 'Tale of the Tape'...
 

William Zepeda v Maxi Hughes
Tale of the Tape

	William Zepeda	Maxi Hughes
Odds:	1/7	9/2
Age:	27	33
Nickname:	'El Camaron'	'Maximus'
Height:	5ft 9ins	5ft 7ins
Reach:	69.5ins	67.5ins
Weight:	Lightweight	Lightweight
Trainer:	Carlos Duarte	Sean O'Hagan
Record:	29-0 (25 KOs)	26-6-2 (5 KOs)
Last Fight:	Won - (KO) v Mercito Gesta (September 2023)	Lost - (MD) v George Kamosos (July 2023)

William Zepeda
In Profile

When discussing the future of the lightweight division, names such as: Gervonta Davis, Shakur Stevenson, Keyshawn Davis, Isaac Cruz and Andy Cruz are invariably mentioned.

However, William Zepeda can often be overlooked, but the all-action Mexican is potentially the dark horse of the weight class.

The tall, aggressive southpaw is yet to but a foot wrong in his career. While he has not faced the stiffest of opposition, he has defeated, former world champions, Rene Alvarado and Jospeh Diaz, comprehensively.

Yes, both men were fighting above their natural weight and their best days were behind them, but the manner of victory was impressive none the less.

In Hughes, ‘El Camaron’ will be facing a fighter full of confidence. Despite not having his hand raised, the Englishman vehemently believes he is coming off a career-best performance against George Kambosos.

Despite the self-belief of his rival, Zepeda is a stylistic nightmare for most boxers due to his potent combination of high work rate and heavy hands. 

This could be the moment the Mexican truly announces himself as a threat to the best in the division.

Strengths:	Weaknesses:
Work rate	Lead hand stays low after throwing
Combination punching	Head falls over front foot
Double jab	Stays in range too long
Applies pressure

Maxi Hughes
In Profile

In 2019, if you were told that in five years’ time that Maxi Hughes would establish himself as a world-level fighter, chances are, you would have laughed.

At that stage, the Doncaster man had suffered the fifth defeat of his career, failing to capture the WBO European title, against Liam Walsh.

Hughes often gave a good account of himself in losing efforts, demonstrating glimpses of real quality, but that is all they ever were – fleeting glimpses.

However, linking up with, trainer, Sean O’Hagan rejuvenated the career of ‘Maximus’.

Under O’Hagan’s tutelage, the Doncaster fighter pulled off two upsets in 2020, outpointing Jono Carroll and Viktor Kotochigov.

Those wins earned him a shot at the vacant British 135lbs title, against Paul Hyland Jr. On the night, Hughes was perfect and even scored a rare stoppage to capture the belt.

A crack at the IBO belt followed against, Mexican puncher, Jovanni Straffon. ‘Impacto’ had halted James Tennyson inside a round in his previous fight, but found Hughes to be too elusive on the night. 

While the IBO may not be the most prestigious strap, it was a significant achievement for a man who had fallen short at Area-level previously.

The 33-year-old went on to further establish his world-level credentials by outpointing, former IBF featherweight titlist, Kid Galahad. 

Hughes’ success led to a battle with, former unified lightweight champion, George Kambosos. 

While the Australian represented a significant step-up in calibre of opponent, ‘Maximus’ handled the occasion with aplomb, with many observers believing he had done enough to secure victory. The judges disagreed, leaving the Englishman bitterly disappointed.

Zepeda is another hard assignment, however, Hughes relishes the role of the underdog, but can he overcome the odds one more time?

Strengths:	Weaknesses:
Difficult to hit cleanly	Lack of knockout power
Gets out of range after throwing shots	Can be open to counters over lead hand
Jab	Back foot style doesn't appeal to judges
Upper body movement

All odds displayed within this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to fluctuation.