Jose Zepeda: record, next fight and profile →
Jose Zepeda is done with taking the kind of fights that normally lead to a title shot. The way he sees it, dues have been paid and it’s time to collect promises that have been made to the former two-time title challenger.
California’s Zepeda made a major statement in hostile territory, twice flooring Josue Vargas en route to a first-round knockout Saturday evening at Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Vargas recovered after a knockdown one minute into the fight, before a barrage of corners left him defenseless and down before the fight was stopped at 1:45 of round one of their junior welterweight contest.
Jose Zepeda would have preferred a more convincing win than the one he claimed in his most recent fight. The fact that his divisional rivals use it to allege that he’s clearly lost a step, however, is something that Zepeda can use to his advantage.
Josue Vargas has waited his entire career for a fight like this. The two-year wait to fight in New York again, however, has felt even longer to the 23-year-old Bronx-bred Boricua southpaw. It comes in his toughest test to date, as Vargas (19-1, 9KOs) next faces top junior welterweight contender and former title challenger Jose Zepeda (34-2, 26KOs). The crossroads bout serves as the main event this Saturday on ESPN+ from Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater in New York City.
Zepeda, Vargas Weights Photos Gallery - Jose “Chon” Zepeda wants a third world title shot. Josue “The Prodigy” Vargas, born in Puerto Rico and raised in the Bronx, hopes his hometown main event is the ticket to title contention. (photos by Mikey Williams)
Headlining the show, former title challenger Jose Zepeda faces streaking prospect Josue Vargas in a scheduled ten-round contest. Both boxers were well under the junior welterweight limit for Saturday’s main event, which airs live on ESPN+ from Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater in New York City.
Zepeda, Vargas Final Press Conference Photos Gallery - Josue "The Prodigy" Vargas earned his nickname fighting as an amateur growing up in The Bronx. The Puerto Rican-born junior welterweight contender now has the opportunity to notch a career-defining win roughly 10 miles from where he was raised. (photos by Mikey Williams)
Jose “Chon” Zepeda wants a third world title shot. Josue “The Prodigy” Vargas, born in Puerto Rico and raised in the Bronx, hopes his hometown main event is the ticket to title contention.
BoxingScene.com has learned that junior welterweights Jose Zepeda and Josue Vargas will square off in a 10-round bout that’ll headline an ESPN+ stream from New York that night. Zepeda (34-2, 26 KOs, 2 NC) and Vargas (19-1, 9 KOs) have replaced a main event that was supposed to feature WBO light heavyweight champion Joe Smith Jr.
Puerto Rico's Jose “Sniper” Pedraza, 32-years-old, will wait for his promoter, Top Rank, to present him with options for his next ring appearance. Earlier this month, Pedraza dispatched then-undefeated Julian “Hammer Hands” Rodriguez (21-1 and 14 KO's) by TKO in the eighth round.