Lightweight contender William Zepeda, considered by many to be the best fighter in the division without a title, isn’t exactly chatty. But who needs to talk when you throw punches the way he does?
Zepeda, known for his relentless punch output and to-the-point interviews, will face former IBF junior lightweight titleholder Tevin Farmer on Nov. 16 on “Latino Night” at Riyadh Season’s The Venue in Saudi Arabia.
It’s a big stage, but don’t expect Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) to deliver any charismatic pre-fight banter – he leaves that to the other guys.
“I’m very honored to take part in Latino Night,” Zepeda said at a Los Angeles press conference, providing exactly what has come to be expected from him: a brief, no-frills statement. That is the Zepeda experience.
Zepeda has been on a steady rise, keeping it all business as he has stopped Roberto Ramirez in the fifth round in November 2020 and cruised to dominant wins over Hector Tanajara Jr., Joseph Diaz Jr., Maxi Hughes and Giovanni Cabrera. His next opponent, Farmer (33-6-1, 8 KOs), isn’t a walk in the park either. A tricky southpaw, Farmer will test whether Zepeda can handle the kind of slick defense he would face in, say, a showdown with Shakur Stevenson – a potential dream fight for fans.
We’re getting ahead of ourselves, but why not? Zepeda’s promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, has already compared the fighter to Mexican legend Salvador Sanchez. No pressure, right?
Farmer, 34, gave unbeaten lightweight Raymond Muratalla a tough time, and this fight should give us a direct comparison that can tell us where Zepeda fits in the division. Can he dominate like so many expect, or will Farmer throw a wrench into his plans? Either way, Zepeda doesn’t seem too bothered in pre-fight conversations.
“I’ve got a great opponent in front of me, but one of the things I want to do is give a great show and represent Mexico proudly,” Zepeda said.
Again, all business.
Expect the same from him come fight night – just a lot of punches, and maybe, in the event of a win, a postfight smile.
Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.
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