Zepeda Beats Farmer Rematch
William Zepeda (32-0, 27 KOs) solidified his position as a top lightweight contender, securing a majority decision victory over Tevin Farmer (33-8-1, 8 KOs) in their highly anticipated rematch in Cancun, Mexico. The bout, a 12-round affair, proved to be a grueling test for both fighters.
While one judge scored the fight a draw (114-114), the other two judges saw Zepeda as the clear victor, with scores of 116-112 and 115-113. This result reaffirms Zepeda’s previous victory over Farmer, albeit with a closer margin than some expected.
Zepeda’s relentless pressure and superior punch output were key factors in his win. According to CompuBox, Zepeda landed 344 total punches compared to Farmer’s 152. Zepeda also dominated in power punches landing 243 to Farmers 111. Despite an apparent hand injury in round one, Farmer showed tremendous heart, and landed several significant uppercuts, particularly in the later rounds.
Farmer, who has now lost his last three fights, expressed frustration with the scoring, claiming he dominated the later rounds. However, he acknowledged Zepeda’s high output and toughness.
Zepeda, now positioned as the WBC’s mandatory challenger, has his sights set on a potential title shot against Shakur Stevenson.
Mayer Retains Title Against Ryan in Heated Rematch
In a compelling rematch in Las Vegas, Mikaela Mayer (21-2, 5KOs) successfully defended her WBO welterweight title against Sandy Ryan (6-2-1, 2KOs) via unanimous decision. The judges scored the fight 97-93, 97-93, and 98-92, all in favor of Mayer.
The fight was a hard fought contest, but I felt Mayer won more comfortably this time round, controlling the rounds with better punch output and body work. Ryan rallied in the later rounds however, landing solid power punches.
This was a rematch of their September 2023 bout, which Mayer also won. The build up to both fights has been filled with animosity, and this fight was no different. Mayer now looks to unify the division against Lauren Price. While Ryan has now suffered two defeats to Mayer, her performances have shown she is a top level fighter.
Norman Jr. Stops Cuevas to Retain WBO Title
Brian Norman Jr. (27-0, 21 KOs) retained his WBO interim welterweight title with a third-round stoppage of Derrieck Cuevas (27-2-1, 19 KOs).
After a somewhat shaky first round, Norman Jr. took control of the fight, hurting Cuevas in the second round and then knocking him down in the third. Cuevas was unable to continue, and the referee stopped the fight at 2:59 of the third round.
Norman Jr. now looks to unify the welterweight division, and has his sights set on the winner of the upcoming Jaron Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis fight.
