“When he lost against Shakur Stevenson, I was so proud of how he fought. It has to be the toughest fight Shakur ever had. He was getting hit. Shakur figured him out and won the fight because he’s a master boxer. But William Zepeda did incredibly well against a master performer like Shakur. I’m looking for Zepeda to be stronger, faster, and more pressure, but wiser,” De La Hoya said to Ariel Helwani.

Stevenson repeatedly disrupted Zepeda’s rhythm with his footwork, timing and sharp counters, forcing him to solve problems that few previous opponents had presented. De La Hoya believes that experience will pay dividends against Roach, whose style also depends on timing and accurate punching rather than heavy volume.

Roach has the skill to capitalize if Zepeda becomes reckless. But if Zepeda can blend the aggression that carried him to a world title opportunity with the patience De La Hoya expects to see, Roach may spend much of the night trying to keep the Mexican contender from dictating the pace.