Zepeda Vs. Farmer Tactical View

William Zepeda rematches Tevin Farmer this weekend as we look at how both men will approach this fight. 

Zepeda won the first fight in a split decision, with many feeling this was Zepeda’s toughest fight. That took his record to 32-0, with 27 wins by knockout. Farmer was one of the very few men he had failed to stop. It was the first time that Zepeda faced questions over his career amid talks of a future fight with Shakur Stevenson, who is the WBC Lightweight Champion. Zepeda is known for being a big-volume puncher. In the Farmer fight, the CompuBox numbers had him throwing 778 punches.

Tactics

He will have to increase that number, having previously thrown over 1,000 when he faced Joseph Diaz. Zepeda’s right hook is a key weapon, as he uses that to dig to the body to slow his opponents down before stopping them. Farmer is also known for having a sold chin, as he has not been stopped in over a decade. Zepeda’s poor head movement is an issue, however. Farmer managed to send him to the canvas for the first time in his career with a straight left on the counter. Had Farmer been a power puncher, Zepeda could have been stopped. 

Farmer will look to control the pace of the fight and use his timing to throw Zepeda off balance. That will also be key to preventing Zepeda from coming forward at will and walking him down. Farmer may look to box on the back foot and land power shots early to earn Zepeda’s respect. Farmer could use his footwork to get in and out of range and land his shots as he makes Zepeda reset his attacks. A key component will also involve catching any shots and looking to counter when the opportunity presents itself.

Farmer’s Coach

“I feel good. I think Tevin will be even better in this fight. Tevin was fighting at home, just getting his gear back on,” said Coach Greg Hackett to YSM Sports Media about Tevin Farmer, who is expected to do better in his rematch with WBC interim lightweight champion William Zepeda this Saturday night in Cancun. “He got in there with [Raymond] Muratalla. He got edged out by Muratalla, but in the Zepeda fight, I thought he was definitely ready.

“Something happens with you when you get to see those levels again, especially being a guy that was already on that level. But when you stop fighting for a while, time goes by; you get a little rusty. He came back and got to see that level. But being in there with Zepeda, and already seen it one time and immediately get back in there with a rematch, I think it’s going to be even better for him. I think we’re going to see a better Tevin Farmer in there on Saturday night, and this time, he’s going to get the call,” Greg Hackett (Farmer’s coach)