William Zepeda posted on Instagram in the present day that he injured his left hand throughout his combat with Tevin Farmer final Saturday evening and has been suggested by docs to take “6 to eight weeks of relaxation” to get well earlier than returning to the gymnasium.
That harm will hold #1 ranked contender Zepeda on the shelf till early 2025. At that time, he and his promoters at Golden Boy can search for one of many light-weight champions for him to problem. With Zepeda’s rankings with the 4 sanctioning our bodies, he has his choose of which champion to problem.
Unbeaten light-weight contender Zepeda (32-0, 27 KOs) had been thought-about the subsequent challenger for WBC 135-lb champion Shakur Stevenson for February twenty second in Riyadh. Sadly, that’s not doable due to the harm.
Physician’s Orders
“After our final match [Tevin Farmer], we left with an harm to our left hand. We have been making ready to return to the gymnasium quickly, however for medical analysis, they really helpful 6 to eight weeks of relaxation for higher restoration. For us, you will need to have this small break to learn our profession; we all know that in 2025, nice alternatives are coming, and we now have to be 100%. After this restoration interval, we want to return on the finish of March,” mentioned William Zepeda on Instagram in the present day.
Shakur is upset about shedding out on the Zepeda combat, but it surely’s good for him. The possibilities are excessive that he would lose to Zepeda, who, together with his excessive 100+ punch per spherical output, is on one other stage than the low-out Shakur (22-0, 10 KOs). Zepeda is a throwback fighter from the Nineteen Eighties, one other Aaron Pryor kind of high-output fighter.
Pryor was extra of an arm puncher within the Artur Beterbiev mould. Zepeda throws with energy and by no means stops throwing, which is why he’s one of the entertaining fighters within the sport and simply essentially the most pleasant to observe within the 135-lb division.
Informal followers doubtless have by no means seen or heard of Pryor, however the ultra-hardcore followers know of him, and he had a excessive work charge, identical to Zepeda. Pryor’s fights in opposition to Alexis Arguello have been a legend, and Zepeda fights the identical approach, however he’s extra of a physique puncher.
Title Shot Postponed
Golden Boy Promotions president Eric Gomez confirmed final Saturday evening that Zepeda, 28, was injured and couldn’t take the combat with Shakur. He says Zepeda nonetheless needs that combat, however he can’t take it now.
Shakur’s followers are upset about Zepeda struggling an harm, however that’s simply the way it goes. He fought Tevin Farmer final Saturday, and he threw a large quantity of punches, a lot of them connecting. When a fighter lands as many arduous punches as Zepeda did in that combat, hand accidents occur.
Zepeda-Farmer Punch stats
– William Zepeda: 259 of 778 punches for a 33.3% join charge
– Tevin Farmer: 193 of 587 for 32.9%.
When Zepeda returns from his harm, he can look towards WBA light-weight champion Gervonta ‘Tank’ Davis. His tentatively scheduled title protection in opposition to Lamont Roach Jr. is March 1st. If it doesn’t get moved once more, Tank can get that out of the best way after which start negotiations for a combat with Zepeda.
