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 determination in tonight’s DAZN primary occasion from Cancun, Mexico.
Tevin Farmer held on by way of attainable harm and nice adversity early, rallying within the latter half of the combat to tug one even card, and two others that have been nearer than many following our dwell protection anticipated.
Farmer (33-8-1, 8 KO) got here out trying 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 by way of the second, and Farmer was wiggling his left glove on the nook as if he may need injured his hand. Commentary speculated that it was an elbow harm from a Zepeda punch to the arm, and Farmer was yelling about it to somebody within the crowd after many of the early rounds.
No matter his harm standing, Farmer fought with a ton of coronary heart, touchdown massive counters on the relentless Zepeda within the fourth, and hanging on by way of 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 proper hand with any actual power, 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 many of the again half of the combat, the place Zepeda couldn’t harm him once more and appeared to gasoline out a bit attempting.
Farmer harm 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 a substitute. Replay confirmed the slip was name, and even a degree misplaced to a knockdown ruling would solely have break 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 elucidate his attainable harm, focusing as a substitute 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 shortly shut down Cano’s early aggression, then alternated physique punishment and massive proper hooks to the pinnacle.
Cano (13-3-1, 4 KO) discovered himself in a nightmare type 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 night time regardless of his success. He suffered a lower over the attention on a head conflict in spherical one, which irritated him all through the combat. Velazquez additionally obtained the worst of one other dangerous head conflict within the third, simply as he was actually punishing Castillo, and Castillo misplaced a degree for it. Velazquez and Castillo knocked heads once more within the fourth, then Castillo opened up at the least one massive lower with an precise punch within the seventh.
Regardless of the bumping and bleeding, it was a energetic present, with a very sensible 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 far more thrilling than the scores recommend.
Robin Safar TKO-5 Roberto Silva
This was one the place Safar’s nook overtly 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 Might with an early end, however didn’t precisely set hearts racing together 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 by way of a number of photographs within the early going that might have been combat enders. However, this one was by no means actually aggressive, and a number of other mentions of Zurdo Ramirez throughout the combat recommend Golden Boy may 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 break up determination that most likely ought to have been a unanimous one.
There wasn’t an enormous hole between these two, nevertheless 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 fourth spherical. However Valle seemed quick and sharp, with Esparza only a bit sluggish of hand and foot in comparison with her peak days
It was combat, however not likely a debatable one, break up determination or not. A rematch is probably going the most important combat out there for both proper now, so we would see it later this 12 months. Provided that Esparza has missed weight thrice in a row, and misplaced two of these fights, it could come right down to that, or a transition into gatekeeping. And I don’t see a lady with the pleasure and previous success of Esparza hanging round as a tester for others.
