It didn’t have a look at first like there can be any controversy within the rematch, however William Zepeda might solely declare a majority choice in tonight’s DAZN most important occasion from Cancun, Mexico. Tevin Farmer held on via attainable damage and nice adversity early, rallying within the latter half of the combat to drag one even card, and two others that had been nearer than many following our dwell protection anticipated.
Farmer (33-8-1, 8 KO) got here out wanting recent and dialed-in, however issues began going very poorly for him after only a spherical and a half. Zepeda (33-0, 27 KO) rocked him halfway via the 2nd, and Farmer was wiggling his left glove on the nook as if he might need injured his hand. Commentary speculated that it was an elbow damage from a Zepeda punch to the arm, and Farmer was yelling about it to somebody within the crowd after a lot of the early rounds.
No matter his damage standing, Farmer fought with a ton of coronary heart, touchdown massive counters on the relentless Zepeda within the 4th, and hanging on via a savage beating in opposition to the ropes within the fifth that had his nook yelling for him to take a knee.
Issues seemed dire for Farmer, who was solely throwing the correct hand with any actual drive, and didn’t have as a lot room to maneuver as he did within the first matchup once they fought on a cruiserweight undercard. However, Farmer had arguably his most full spherical of the combat within the sixth, and did sufficient to make a case for himself in a lot of the again half of the combat, the place Zepeda couldn’t damage him once more and appeared to gasoline out a bit attempting.
Farmer damage Zepeda within the twelfth, and Zepeda hit the canvas shortly thereafter on a dominated slip that simply might have been known as a knockdown within the second as an alternative. Replay confirmed the slip was a great name, and even some extent misplaced to a knockdown ruling would solely have cut up the choice, not swung it away from Zepeda. Official scores got here in at 114-114, 116-112, and 115-113. With no disrespect to the gutsy effort Farmer gave, the 116-112 card was closest to my unofficial view of the combat.
Nice respect each methods within the aftermath, with handshakes exchanged even after the post-fight interviews. However, a heartbroken Farmer mentioned: “I’ve respect for the fighters, I’ve no respect for boxing” as a part of a solution about feeling he can’t get any breaks lately. Farmer declined to clarify his attainable damage, focusing as an alternative on his respect for Zepeda and disappointment with the scores.
Oscar Collazo KO-5 Edwin Cano
High quality work from Collazo (12-0, 9 KO), who used a savvy jab to rapidly shut down Cano’s early aggression, then alternated physique punishment and large proper hooks to the pinnacle.
Cano (13-3-1, 4 KO) discovered himself in a nightmare model matchup. Regardless of his recreation effort, Cano took increasingly abuse because the combat continued. Collazo brilliantly slipped and parried a final gasp, all-in flurry from Cano within the fifth. Seconds later, Collazo landed one closing massive shot to the physique, and Cano couldn’t proceed.
Collazo stays the WBA and WBO champion at 105 lbs., with no point out of any future plans within the post-fight interview.
Joselito Velazquez UD-10 Adolfo Castillo
Very enjoyable motion right here, regardless of extra headbutts than a Three Stooges movie. Castillo (12-5-2, 7 KO) hadn’t fought in over two years and hadn’t tallied a victory since 2021, however got here very able to scrap with the overwhelming crowd (and betting) favourite.
Velazquez (21-1-1, 13 KO) had a depressing evening regardless of his success. He suffered a minimize over the attention on a head conflict in Spherical 1, which aggravated him all through the combat. Velazquez additionally acquired the worst of one other unhealthy head conflict within the third, simply as he was actually punishing Castillo, and Castillo misplaced some extent for it. Velazquez and Castillo knocked heads once more within the 4th, then Castillo opened up not less than one massive minimize with an precise punch within the seventh.
Regardless of the bumping and bleeding, it was a vigorous present, with a very good tenth spherical. Official scores got here in at 100-89, 100-89, and 97-92, with the latter providing a extra correct image of a combat that was way more thrilling than the scores recommend.
Robin Safar TKO-5 Roberto Silva
This was one the place Safar’s nook brazenly mentioned their plan to get rounds in for his or her fighter, because the combat was in progress. Safar (18-0) adopted up his breakthrough win over Sergey Kovalev final Could with an early end, however didn’t precisely set hearts racing along with his semi-casual strategy to ending issues early.
Silva (13-4, 7 KO) works a day job as an electrician, and confirmed he’s sturdy man with a heck of a chin, strolling via a number of photographs within the early going that might have been combat enders. However, this one was by no means actually aggressive, and several other mentions of Zurdo Ramirez throughout the combat recommend Golden Boy might need Safar earmarked as a future opponent for him. Nothing that occurred tonight put that in danger.
Yokasta Valle SD-10 Marlen Esparza
Good motion within the opener, the place Yoka Valle took a well-fought cut up choice that in all probability ought to have been a unanimous one.
There wasn’t an enormous hole between these two, however it was a transparent one, with Valle (33-3, 10 KO) barely however notably higher all through. Esparza (15-3, 1 KO) had flashes of her peak, like a artful sequence of spacing jabs that disrupted a Valle assault within the 4th spherical. However Valle seemed quick and sharp, with Esparza only a bit gradual of hand and foot in comparison with her peak days
It was a great combat, however probably not a debatable one, cut up choice or not. A rematch is probably going the largest combat obtainable for both proper now, so we would see it later this 12 months. On condition that Esparza has missed weight thrice in a row, and misplaced two of these fights… It might come right down to that, or a transition into gatekeeping. And I don’t see a girl with the delight and previous success of Esparza hanging round as a tester for others.
