It seemed like the rematch was free from drama at first, but what unfolded couldn’t have been more surprising. In the DAZN main event held in Cancun, Mexico, William Zepeda walked away with only a majority decision. Tevin Farmer displayed incredible resilience, battling through a potential injury and some tough early rounds to even out one scorecard, while the others were much closer than expected based on our live coverage.
Farmer, boasting a record of 33-8-1 with 8 KOs, began the fight looking sharp and ready. However, things took a turn for the worse after just one and a half rounds. With a record of 33-0 and 27 KOs, Zepeda managed to stagger him halfway through the second round. Farmer’s left glove movement hinted at a possible hand injury, which might have resulted from a hit to the arm by Zepeda. Throughout the early rounds, Farmer could be seen vocally expressing his discomfort to someone in the audience.
Despite any injuries, Farmer fought courageously, delivering significant counterpunches to the ever-persistent Zepeda in the fourth round. He endured a severe assault against the ropes in the fifth, with his corner urging him to take a knee.
Things appeared grim for Farmer, who could only muster strength in his right hand. He had less room to move compared to their first encounter on a cruiserweight undercard. However, he arguably executed his most cohesive round in the sixth. Farmer managed to hold his ground in the latter part of the fight, where Zepeda didn’t pose much of a threat anymore and seemed to be running out of steam.
In the twelfth, Farmer had Zepeda in trouble, knocking him down. Although initially deemed a slip, a replay confirmed the decision. Even if it had been ruled a knockdown, it wouldn’t have altered the outcome as much, only leading to a split decision for Zepeda. The final scores read 114-114, 116-112, and 115-113. While Farmer’s valiant effort was commendable, the 116-112 score seemed to align closest with my on-the-spot evaluation.
After the fight, the sportsmanship was evident as both fighters exchanged handshakes. A visibly disappointed Farmer expressed, “I have respect for the fighters, but not for boxing,” hinting at the lack of breaks over the past few years. He chose not to elaborate on his injury but instead focused on praising Zepeda and expressing frustration over the scoring.
Switching over to Oscar Collazo, his performance against Edwin Cano was nothing short of exemplary. Collazo, with a 12-0 record and 9 KOs, effectively stifled Cano’s early aggression with a smart jab, followed by expertly alternating between punishing the body and head with significant right hooks.
Cano, who stands at 13-3-1 with 4 KOs, faced a stylistic conundrum. He bravely persevered but took a variable amount of damage as the match went on. In the fifth round, despite Cano’s energetic flurry, Collazo skillfully countered and landed a decisive blow to the body that Cano couldn’t recover from.
As the WBA and WBO champion at 105 lbs, Collazo didn’t disclose any future plans during his post-fight interview, but his performance certainly left a mark.
Now onto Joselito Velazquez’s bout with Adolfo Castillo, where headbutts were more common than in a classic Three Stooges scene. Despite Castillo not having fought for over two years and not securing a win since 2021, he came prepared to scrap against heavy favoritism both from the crowd and in betting.
Velazquez, boasting 21-1-1 with 13 KOs, endured a challenging night. He sustained a cut due to a head clash in the first round, which continued to bother him. Another clash in the third round was costly for Castillo, who lost a point for it, and another head-to-head in the fourth caused further disruptions. A punch from Castillo in the seventh added to Velazquez’s woes, opening up another cut.
Despite the clashes and the blood, this fight was entertaining, with an especially remarkable 10th round. The scores came in at 100-89, 100-89, and 97-92—the latter being an apt depiction of an action-packed contest that was more thrilling than the scores might imply.
Lastly, the face-off between Robin Safar and Roberto Silva lacked competitiveness. Safar’s corner openly discussed improving his ring experience through more rounds. Nonetheless, Safar, with a record of 18-0, wrapped things up rather early with a less-than-dramatic finish following his breakthrough victory over Sergey Kovalev last May.
Silva, having a day job as an electrician and holding a 13-4 record with 7 KOs, took the incoming blows firmly, none of which ended the fight prematurely. But it was clear that the match wasn’t a tight contest, and frequent mentions of Zurdo Ramirez suggest that Golden Boy sees Safar as a potential future opponent. Nothing that happened this evening put that at risk.
Wrapping up with Yokasta Valle’s close victory over Marlen Esparza, their encounter was lively and culminated in what many thought should have been a unanimous decision for Valle.
Though Valle, at 33-3 with 10 KOs, held a slight edge, it was definitive, even if not massive. Esparza had moments of brilliance, like a neat sequence of jabs in the fourth that momentarily disrupted Valle’s rhythm. Yet, Valle’s speed and sharpness prevailed, with Esparza trailing in pace and agility compared to her prime days.
It was indeed a commendable fight, not really one to second-guess despite the split decision score. A rematch is likely the next significant move for both fighters. Considering Esparza’s track record with weight issues and recent losses, it might be down to another rematch or a shift towards a gatekeeper role, which might not align with her pride and past achievements.
