WBC interim lightweight champion William Zepeda and Tevin Farmer are finalizing negotiations for a rematch on March 29 in Cancun, Mexico.
Farmer (33-7-1, 8 KOs) is getting a rematch from a 10-round split decision loss to Zepeda (32-0, 27 KOs) on Nov. 16 in Riyadh on the Latino Night card.
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Tevin bitterly complained afterwards that he should have given him the decision. It didn't seem like it, but it's understandable why he would be unhappy. Now he gets another paycheck, but his chances of winning the rematch are non-existent.
The results
95-94 – Zepeda
95-94 – Farmer
95-94 – Farmer
Some boxing fans found the decision controversial because they felt Farmer, 34, deserved to win. Farmer scored a knockdown in the fourth round and mostly shot to the head.
“They will soon finalize the rematch between William Zepeda and Tevin Farmer for March 29 in Cancun. The fight will now go 12 rounds for the interim lightweight champion (for the WBC),” said Salvador Rodriguez on X.
Zepeda focused almost entirely on Farmer's body, nailing him with powerful punches that should have easily resulted in his wide decision victory.
The scoring reflected what this set of judges felt was important to them. Many would guess Zepeda based on his punishing body work. It wasn't close.
I was 9-1 for Zepeda. Farmer won the fourth thanks to a quick knockdown from Zepeda, but other than that round, it was one-sided. Zepeda pounded Farmer's body in every round of the fight and looked exhausted by the eighth round.
Farmer looked at him as much as other Zepeda opponents when they took too much punishment and needed to get them out for their own good. It was brave of Farmer to hang in there, but he hasn't been competitive since the eighth round. It was hard to see the old veteran being beaten like that.
Former IBF super featherweight champion Tevin went and was the equivalent of a punching bag for the last three rounds. If this had been a 12-round fight, Farmer would have been knocked out as he absorbed tremendous punishment in the last two rounds.
It was similar when Farmer fought Raymond Muratalla on July 13, 2024. Farmer was competitive for seven rounds, but was knocked down in the eighth round and was lucky to see the final bell.
In the last two rounds, Zepeda landed more than 100 punches per round and Farmer looked like a victim in the making. Surprisingly, the judges concluded this discrepancy. A rematch isn't necessary, but it would silence fans who feel Farmer was robbed.
Zepeda needs to win this fight and look good to mount a title challenge against WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson, provided he wins his bout against Floyd Schofield on February 22nd.
