It’s not that William Zepeda views Mercito Gesta—or any opponent he’s ever faced—as a stepping stone.

He just intends to treat him that way once they’re in the ring.

Doing so is part of the mission the unbeaten contender is on in pursuit of bigger fights in the loaded lightweight division. A major shake-up is soon expected at the top level and Zepeda plans to play an integral role in the anticipated transformation.

The next step to reach that goal is to take out a crafty veteran such as Gesta, whom he faces this Saturday atop a DAZN show from Commerce Casino in Commerce, California.

“Mercito Gesta brings a lot of experience into the ring. These are the challenges I need to conquer as I climb the ranks,” Zepeda told krikya360.com.

Their scheduled 12-round lightweight contest comes at a point when it is believed that Devin Haney (30-0, 15KOs) has one foot out the door of the division. The lineal and unified WBA/IBF/WBO champion plans to next challenge WBC junior welterweight titlist Regis Prograis, a fight for which he has already parted with his WBC lightweight title.

The other belts are likely to become available in the coming months, under the assumption that Haney will not return to the division. Even if he does, he is still on the hook to honor mandatory title defenses across the board.

Zepeda improved upon his lofty stance among all four sanctioning bodies after a second-round knockout of Jaime Arboleda on April 29 in Arlington, Texas. He is ranked among the top seven with every major organization. There is little doubt in his mind that he factors into the title picture in 2024, which is why he wanted to get a good look at as many styles as possible on the way up the ranks.

Gesta (34-3-3, 17KOs) has twice fought for a major title, but came up short on both occasions. The 35-year-old San Diego-based Filipino southpaw has won his last two starts since he returned to the ring last April after a 29-month ring break. He is coming off a March 18 points win over former titlist Joseph ‘JoJo’ Diaz, whom Zepeda soundly outpointed last October 29 in San Diego.

“He’s a very talented fighter and he’s a southpaw,” Zepeda said of Gesta. “My goal is to prove to the boxing world that we are ready for the top challenges. We are right at the doorstep of fighting for a world title and he presents the type of challenge that I want to conquer at this point of my career.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for krikya360.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox