Jose Zepeda

Jose Zepeda, born on May 24, 1989, in Long Beach, California, is a Mexican-American professional boxer whose career has seen him rise through the ranks in the super lightweight division. Zepeda discovered his passion for boxing within the Mexican-American community, a community that has produced many superstars. He is known for his ability to bring the heat to the ring, even in defeat, winning the hearts of fans. This was evident in his super lightweight bout against Regis Prograis in November 2022. Zepeda is a sophisticated boxer who can heat up the ring with simple straight punches down the middle, as seen in his victory over Josue Vargas.

He followed in the footsteps of fellow Mexican-American and California-born boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya and made the decision to turn professional. His first professional fight took place in Mexico on Christmas day in 2009 against Ignacio Mondragon, which he won by knockout. By 2010, Zepeda was already working with his childhood idol and Californian great Robert Alcazar, a former world championship trainer of Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya.

Zepeda's first attempt at a World Championship came in 2015 when he faced Terry Flanagan for the WBO lightweight title but lost the fight by stoppage. He then moved up to the Super Lightweight Division, securing a series of wins to face Jose Ramirez for the WBC Super Lightweight Division title. Zepeda would lose for the second time in his quest to become a full world champion. However, he found success as the WBC Silver champion, proving he could go toe-to-toe with tough opponents like Ivan Baranchyk. Their fight in October 2020, which lasted five rounds and had at least one knockdown in every round, set social media ablaze due to its nonstop action.

Although Zepeda has shown that he is no longer in his physical prime, as seen in his recent bout against Richardson Hitchins where he was dominated for 12 rounds by the Brooklyn-born Haitian Olympian, he still maintains an all-out style. He often forgoes range-controlling jabs in favor of explosive hooks and powerful counter straights. These hard-hitting combinations land on his opponents with precision and force. When Zepeda gains momentum in a fight, he becomes difficult to stop, quickly learning from in-fight mistakes and making micro-adjustments to secure victory. His charisma, confidence, and positive body language can intimidate opponents and energize the crowd, making him an enjoyable fighter to watch.

Zepeda has out-classed some of the greatest Super Lightweight champions when facing common opponents, such as Joshua Taylor. For instance, Zepeda was defeated by KO by Ivan Baranchyk in a WBC Title Eliminator. Baranchyk, at the time, was just two fights removed from losing the IBF title in a 12-round unanimous decision against former undisputed champion Taylor in the Muhamed Ali trophy semifinals in March 2019.

However, if Zepeda cannot find his rhythm, the crowd can still be entertained, but he may not resemble the Zepeda of his mid-20s. He often starts cold and remains sluggish throughout the fight, usually throwing right hooks before jabs and missing several power shots in a row. These missed shots take a toll on Zepeda's stamina and mental fortitude, leading to frustration, desperate attacks, and unconfident body language that can give his opponents a second wind in the boxing contest. Nonetheless, Zepeda is a comeback warrior whose future still shines brightly despite his age in a young man's division. He possesses immense ring experience with 42 fights and a 69.2% KO rate, which poses a significant challenge for any young competitor.