“We’re not going to come back and have an easy fight. We want to know if we’re really meant for this,” trainer Jacob Najar said during Tuesday’s press conference. “If we beat Roach, we could do what Isaac Cruz couldn’t do. If we beat Roach, we did what Gervonta Davis couldn’t do.”

Najar also said Zepeda’s team made no excuses for the Stevenson defeat.

“Shakur was the better fighter. There are no excuses. We trained hard, and we did everything we always do in camp. He was just a better fighter.”

Roach has not lost since Jamel Herring outpointed him in 2019, but Zepeda’s pressure could create a different type of fight than the ones Roach had with Davis and Cruz. Roach exchanged for long stretches in both contests, while Zepeda is known for throwing high volume and attacking the body.

Stevenson and Tevin Farmer both heard the final bell against Zepeda, but neither escaped his pressure entirely. That activity could matter if Roach chooses to trade again rather than box in spots.

“I am not overlooking him at all,” Roach said. “He’s a tough task. I want to fight the toughest guys that will solidify my legacy.”

The winner will leave Las Vegas with the vacant WBC lightweight title and a stronger position in a division that also includes Stevenson, Davis, Cruz, and Raymond Muratalla.