Promoter Oscar De La Hoya confirmed today that if William Zepeda defeats Tevin Farmer on Saturday night in Riyadh, he will immediately enter a world title fight against WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson.
(Credit: Golden Boy/Chris Esqueda)
De La Hoya wanted to let fans know that Zepeda will face Zepeda on February 22 for the WBC title if he beats Farmer. Oscar had to say something because many fans on social media wondered if Zepeda would beat Shakur.
They believe he will avoid fighting for fear of getting beaten and ruining his chances of earning a big payday against WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis.
Zepeda (31-0, 27 KOs) is ranked No. 1 by all four sanctioning bodies at 135 and will put 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 16 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 think he’s a live dog in this fight. He’s got a style to beat anyone,” Oscar De La Hoya told Golden Boy Boxing about whether fans will see William Zepeda fight Shakur Stevenson in February.
De La Hoya clearly knows that the 34-year-old Farmer has very little chance of defeating the 28-year-old Zepeda because they are on opposite ends of their careers. Zepeda is just starting to chase world titles, and she’s on the cusp of big things.
In contrast, Farmer, coming off a loss to Raymond Muratala, has now turned to being used as a B-side competitor for the upcoming young Lions.
“Obviously William Zepeda is a machine. He has the output, he’s relentless, he hits hard, he’s got a big chin, he never gets tired. It’s going to be a great fight,” De La Hoya said of Zepeda vs. Farmer on Saturday during Latino Night in Riyadh. An action-packed battle.”
Zepeda is averaging 100 punches per round, and if he can get close to Farmer to unload his shots, this fight won’t last long Friday night. The farmer won’t be able to move for ten rounds without being cornered by Zepeda and forced into a gunfight, and this may not go well for him when that happens.
Can the farmer match Zepeda’s output?
“It all depends on how fit Tevin Farmer is, how much he wants it, how excited he is that the William Zepeda machine is going right at him,” De La Hoya said.
“He’s going to try to beat him and take care of business, but I feel like when William Zepeda wins, if he wins, we’re going to go straight into a Shakur Stevenson fight. That’s what we want,” De La Hoya said.
