William Zepeda’s planned Mexico homecoming has a location and a timeframe, but Oscar De La Hoya has yet to name the opponent. With the WBC ordering Zepeda to face interim champion Jadier Herrera, that is the remaining detail in Golden Boy’s plans.
“We’re looking at the first quarter of next year. We are looking at fighting him in Mexico. I believe after his world title performance it deserves a homecoming for him in Mexico. So, we’re talking logistics with DAZN, with the whole team internal, and we’ll announce that soon,” De La Hoya told Fight Hub TV.
A Mexico return makes commercial sense for Zepeda. His pressure and punch output give Golden Boy an action fighter to promote, and bringing a championship defense home offers a chance to build an event around him.
However, arranging the venue and broadcast does not settle the opponent. The WBC has ordered the Herrera fight, with October 20 identified as the deadline for the camps to reach terms. No completed agreement was established in the reporting reviewed.
De La Hoya’s comments do not establish that Golden Boy intends to bypass Herrera. He was outlining a return plan rather than announcing a signed fight. Still, naming the challenger would give the homecoming a clearer sporting purpose.
Herrera’s interim title puts him in position to challenge Zepeda, and a meeting between them would resolve the WBC’s two-title situation at lightweight. It would also give the Mexico event a consequence beyond celebrating the champion’s previous performance.
For Herrera’s team, the venue would be part of the negotiation. Golden Boy wanting Mexico does not mean the challenger has accepted that location or the financial terms.
The first-quarter target leaves time to complete those arrangements. Until an opponent is confirmed, Zepeda’s homecoming remains a promotional plan awaiting its defining matchup. Herrera is the ordered challenger, and his inclusion would turn De La Hoya’s proposed celebration into a championship defense with something at stake.
