Interim WBC lightweight champions William Zepeda and Tevin Farmer are finalizing negotiations for a rematch on March 29 in Cancun, Mexico.
Farmer (33-7-1, 8 KOs) will be granted a rematch after losing to Zepeda (32-0, 27 KOs) by 10-round split decision on November 16 in Riyadh on the Latino Night card.
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Tevin complained bitterly afterwards that he should have been given the decision. It didn't seem that way, but it was understandable why he wasn't happy. Now, he gets another payday, but his chances of winning a rematch are nil.
Dozens
95-94 – Zepeda
95-94 – farmer
95-94 – farmer
Some boxing fans considered this decision controversial, as they felt that Farmer (34 years old) deserved to win. Farmer scored a knockdown in the fourth round and fell mainly to the head.
“They are on the cusp of a rematch between William Zepeda and Tevin Farmer on March 29 in Cancun. “The fight will now be a 12-rounder for the interim (WBC) lightweight championship,” said Salvador Rodriguez. X.
Zepeda focused almost entirely on Farmer's body, landing powerful blows on him that should have easily led to a wide decision win.
The scoring reflects what this group of judges felt was important to them. Many would have scored wide for Zepeda based on his punishing body work. It wasn't close.
It's 9-1 for Zepeda. Farmer won the fourth due to a sneaky knockdown of Zepeda, but unlike that round, it was one-sided. Zepeda pounded Farmer's body every round of the fight and made him look exhausted in the eighth round.
The farmer had the same outlook for him as Zepeda's other opponents when they had taken too much punishment and needed to withdraw for their own good. It was brave of Farmer to stay in there but he hasn't been able to compete since the eighth round. It was hard to see the old veteran getting beaten up like this.
Former IBF super featherweight champion Tiffin is gone and was a punching bag for the final three rounds. If this had been a 12-round fight, Farmer would have been eliminated because he was taking terrible punishment in the final two rounds.
It was similar when Farmer faced Raymond Muratala on July 13, 2024. Farmer was competitive for seven rounds but was beaten from the eighth round and was lucky to see the final bell.
In the final two rounds, Zepeda threw over 100 punches per round, and Farmer looked like a victim getting exhausted. Surprisingly, the judges were close to this mismatch. There's no need for a rematch, but it would calm fans who felt robbed by Farmer.
Zepeda needs to win this fight and look good to set up a title challenge against WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson, provided he wins his bout against Floyd Schofield on February 22.
