Promoter Oscar De La Hoya confirmed today that if William Zepeda is victorious against Tevin Farmer this Saturday night in Riyadh, he will immediately enter a world title fight against WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson.
(Credit Golden Boy / Cris Esqueda)
De La Hoya wanted to let the fans know that Zepeda will face Zepeda on February 22nd for his WBC title if he beats Farmer. Oscar had to say something because many fans on social media have questioned whether Zepeda would duck Shakur.
They think he’ll avoid fighting him for fear of getting beaten and wrecking his chances of a big payday against WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis.
Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) is ranked #1 by all four sanctioning bodies at 135 and will be putting his ranking on the line in his 10-round fight against former IBF super featherweight champion Farmer (33-6-1, 8 KOs) on Saturday, November 16th at The Venue in Riyadh. The event will be shown live on DAZN.
De La Hoya: Zepeda Will Fight Shakur Next
“With all due respect to Tevin Farmer, I believe he’s a live dog in this fight. He has the style to defeat anybody,” said Oscar De La Hoya to Golden Boy Boxing about whether fans will see William Zepeda fight Shakur Stevenson in February.
De La Hoya obviously knows the 34-year-old Farmer has very little chance of defeating the 28-year-old Zepeda because they’re on opposite sides of their careers. Zepeda is just starting out, going after world titles, and on the cusp of big things.
In contrast, Farmer is coming off a loss to Raymond Muratalla, and he’s now reduced to being used as a B-side opponent for the young Lions coming up.
“Obviously, William Zepeda is a machine. He has the output, he’s relentless, he hits hard, he has a great chin, and he never gets tired. It’s going to be a great fight, an action-packed fight,” De La Hoya said about the Zepeda vs. Farmer fight this Saturday during Latino Night in Riyadh.
Zepeda averages 100 punches thrown per round, and if he can get near Farmer to unload his shots, this fight will not last long on Friday night. Farmer won’t be able to move for ten rounds without being cornered by Zepeda and forced into a firefight, and that may not go well for him when that happens.
Can Farmer Match Zepeda’s Output?
“It all depends on how in shape Tevin Farmer is, how much he wants it, and how much heart he has because the machine William Zepeda is going to come right at him,” said De La Hoya.
“He’s going to try to steamroll right over him and take care of business, but I feel that when William Zepeda wins if he wins, we will go directly into a Shakur Stevenson fight. That’s what we want,” said De La Hoya.
