End of the Roach? Star faces tough questions after Zepeda loss

Instead, 'The Reaper' found himself condemned to a third bout without victory on the bounce by William Zepeda in Las Vegas.

What's more, the star missed the chance to make two-weight history, falling short in his bid to capture the WBC lightweight title.

For Roach, it is a tough pill to swallow - and extends a run in the ring where he has failed to register win a for over two years now.

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Relentless Zepeda finally becomes world champion

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Thirty-one in a fortnight, there is surely still plenty of life left in the former WBA super-featherweight champion's career at the top.

But just how much is there? DAZN News explores what may come next for Roach - and what questions he must swiftly answer.

What is Roach's recent record?

Up until the start of 2025, Roach had just the lone blemish on his record - a 2019 WBO title fight defeat against Jamel Herring.

In the intervening years, he had earned divisional honours and most recently defended against Feargal McCrory before vacating.

At lightweight though, controversy abounded. Roach was unlucky to draw with Gervonta Davis in his WBA challenge last year.

Further trouble was around the corner. The star went to super-lightweight for a WBC interim shot against Isaac 'Pitbull' Cruz too.

Again, the scorecards went against him, with another majority draw despite Roach outlanding and commanding his opponent.

What went wrong with Zepeda?

Having fallen shy with the judges twice in quick succession, Roach spoke of a burning desire to ensure no ambiguity last week.

In that sense, there can be little - albeit, not in the way he would have intended. Instead, he found himself comfortably outclassed.

Zepeda, ending a year-long layoff after Shakur Stevenson neutralised him last year, was just as hungry to deliver in this title fight.

That translated into a steady volume of blows that Roach seemed unable to counter enough, with his opponent busier throughout.

The end result was a fair reflection - and the star acknowledged that in his post-fight interview, stating Zepeda was "one step ahead".

What comes next for Roach?

This is the tougher question that Roach faces. Age remains on his side - and surely the appetite remains for him to go around again.

But what road he takes is something he will need to consider now. Having trimmed back down, is lightweight still his natural home?

Roach is currently unranked with all but the WBC, though it is likely he would be able to find a shot against another contender here.

There is no path to a title as it stands right now though, which may persuade him to chance his arm a division above once again.

There, a slew of options could await him, including a possible rematch with Cruz - and the chance to take revenge may be seductive.

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