WILLIAM Zepeda maintained his unbeaten record and picked up an interim crown, but he was made to work hard for his win over Tevin Farmer. The scores were extremely narrow as two judges had it 95-94 for Zepeda, while the third official totalled 95-94 for Farmer.

Zepeda was steadily cranking up the pace as Farmer’s comfort zone became increasingly invaded. Zepeda’s accuracy and consistency were garnering round three success as the real version finally turned up. Farmer was beginning to look like a weary veteran.

The Philly fighter had a surprise up his sleeve in round four as Zepeda shipped a flush left hand that ended in ‘Camaron’ on his knees for a count. Replays showed a quality move from Farmer to cause the knockdown as he slipped outside and landed the accurate shot that mattered. Fron that moment, a buoyant Tevin’s accuracy was causing frequent worry for the fight favourite.

Zepeda’s head movement had gone out the window as Farmer’s step found an extra spring. The freshness of Zepeda, whose career is on the rise, served him well in the seventh. Farmer was still happy to slide away from his lunges and poke in sharp counter shots. Referee Harvey Dock had a little word about illicit grappling.

Turning up the heat in round nine, Zepeda was swinging with an air of desperation despite the fact that he had likely nudged ahead. Farmer’s single shots dried up slightly as the pace intensified.

Zepeda, 32-0 (27 KOs), walked away with the lesser spotted WBC interim lightweight title. It was a good chance to see how Zepeda fares with a Shakur Stevenson style should they meet next year as expected. Just as in the Raymond Muratalla fight, Tevin Farmer, 33-7-1 (8 KOs), showed that there is still some life left in the 34-year-old former world champion’s creaking frame.

“We always knew it would be a tough, strong fight,” said Zepeda, who mentioned that he had things to perfect going forward but was happy with his performance.

“He tried to smother it, close me down, and not allow me to feel comfortable there. We were happy with the rhythm we got into for the victory.”

Zepeda is now the number one contender for several 135-pound straps. He is eagerly waiting to receive a firm offer from Shakur Stevenson’s team.