WBC interim lightweight champions William Zepeda and Tevin Farmer are finalizing negotiations for a March 29 rematch in Cancun, Mexico.

Farmer (33-7-1, 8 KOs) is being offered a rematch after losing to Zepeda (32-0, 27 KOs) via a 10-round split decision on November 16th in Riyadh on the Latino Night card.

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Tevin later complained bitterly that he should have been given the decision. It didn't look that way, but it's understandable why he would be displeased. Now, he gets another payday, but he's unlikely to win a rematch.

score

95-94 – Zepeda
95-94 – Farmer
95-94 – Farmer

Some boxing fans considered it a controversial decision, as they felt Farmer, 34, deserved the win. Farmer scored a knockdown in the fourth round and landed mainly headshots.

“They are going to finalize the rematch between William Zepeda and Tevin Farmer on March 29th in Cancun. The fight for the interim lightweight championship (for the WBC) will now go 12 rounds,” said Salvador Rodriguez. X.

Zepeda focused almost entirely on Farmer's body, nailing him with powerful shots that should have earned him a wide decision.

The scoring reflects how important this set of judges was to them. Many would have scored it heavily for Zepeda based on his punishing work to the body. It was never closed.

I got 9-1 for Zepeda. Farmer won the fourth thanks to a flash knockdown from Zepeda, but other than that round it was one-sided. Zepeda hit Farmer to the body in every round of the fight and was looking worn down by the eighth round.

Farmer had the same look as other Zepeda opponents when they took too much punishment and needed to be kicked out for their own good. It was brave that Farmer stayed there but was not a contender from the eighth round. It was hard to see the old veteran being beaten like this.

Former IBF super featherweight champion Tevin went away and was the equivalent of a punching bag in the last three rounds. Had this been a 12-round fight, Farmer would have been knocked out as he absorbed tremendous punishment in the final two rounds.

The same was true when Farmer fought Raymond Muratalla on July 13, 2024. Farmer was competitive for seven rounds but was beaten by the eighth round and was lucky to see the final bell.

In the last two rounds, Zepeda threw 100+ punches per round, and Farmer looked like a victim. Surprisingly, there was this discrepancy among the judges. A rematch isn't necessary, but it would appease fans who felt Farmer was robbed

Zepeda needs to win this fight and look good to set up a title challenge against WBC lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson, but he is victorious in his February 22 clash against Floyd Schofield.