William Zepeda won the fight. Tevin Farmer was the star of the show.

Zepeda won a 12-round majority decision to retain the WBC Interim Lightweight title in what turned out to be a thrilling fight in Cancun, Mexico.

Zepeda dominated the early part of the fight with his volume punching. In round three, it seemed that Farmer hurt either or both his left hand and elbow. There were several times where in between rounds that Farmer would bow out of the fight and during rounds it looked like he was unable to defend himself against the volume of Zepeda. Farmer looked badly hurt on several occasions.

In round six, Zepeda began to bleed from the nose. Once Farmer got used to fighting with the injuries, he went to work and started to dominate and even hurt Zepeda down the stretch. In round 12, Farmer landed a left to the head that seemed to make Zepeda’s glove touch the canvas, but referee Michael Griffin ruled a slip. Farmer was able to land several flush flurries but it was too liitle too late as Zepeda was able to hang on for the victory.

Zepeda landed 344 of 974 punches. Farmer was 152 of 679.

Zepeda of Mexico won by scores of 116-112, 115-113 and 114-114 to raise his undefeated record to 33-0. Farmer of Philadelphia is now 33-8-1.

The fight was a rematch from November where Zepeda won a split decision.

“Tevin Farmer is a tremendous fighter,” said William Zepeda, “I knew what I was risking by taking this fight. I have learned a lot now having gone 22 rounds with him, and I can’t wait to go back to the gym to continue to grow. I want to thank all my fans for being here, and for all their support. A big thank you to Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya, Pepe and everyone who helped put this fight together.”

Oscar Collazo Stops Cano to Retain Minimumweight Title

Oscar Collazo retained the WBO Minimumweight Title with a five round beatdown of Edwin Cano.

Collazo dominated and then in round five all of the body work started to do Cano in and a left to the body sent a spent Cano down for the count at 1:12.

Collazo, 105 lbs of Puerto Rico is 12-0 with nine knockouts. Camo, 104.9 lbs of Mexico is 13-3-1.

Velazquez Decisions Castillo

Joselito Velazquez won a 10-round unanimous decision over Adolfo Castillo in a super flyweight bout.

In round one, Velazquez was cut over the right eye from an accidental headbutt. In round three, another butt caused a bad cut around the right eyebrow of Velazquez.

Velazquez, 114 1/4 lbs of Cancun, MEX won by scores of 100-89 twice and i97-92 and is now 21-1-1. Castillo, 114 1/2 lbs of Durango, MEX is 12-5-2.

Safar Stops Gonzalez in 5

Robin Safar stopped Roberto Silva in round five of their 10-round cruiserweight bout.

After a pedestrian beginning, Safar turned up the heat and started batter Silva and the fight was stopped at 2:55.

Safar is now 18-0 with 13 knockouts. Silva is now 13-4.

Valle Decisions Esparza

In a battle of former unified world champions, Yokasta Valle won a 10-round split decision over Marlen Esoarza in a flyweight bout.

Valle, 110.6 lbs of San Jose, CR won by scores of 97-93 twice, wile Esparza won a card 96-94.

Valle is now 33-3. Esparza, 113.9 lbs of Houston is 15-3.

LOS ANGELES (January 31, 2025) — Golden Boy has firmly planted its stake in the cruiserweight and heavyweight divisions with the momentous signings of four future world champions. These signings mark the beginning of a new era in their respective divisions and include the re-signing of blue-chip cruiserweight prospect Tristan “Sweet T” Kalkreuth (14-1, 10 KOs), top-rated cruiserweight Robin “Robz” Safar (17-0, 12 KOs), undefeated heavyweight prospect Federico Pacheco Jr. (7-0, 5 KOs), and 2023 Pan American Games gold medalist and 2024 Olympian Joshua “Good” Edwards.

“The heavyweight division hasn’t been this hot in decades,” said Golden Boy Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “Every single one of these prospects has the potential to become a world champion in the heavier divisions. Nobody builds champions better than Golden Boy, and I’m extremely excited to get into the mix of the heavyweight division.”

“After my dominant victory over Sergey Kovalev, every top promotional company came knocking with offers. I took my time, weighed my options carefully, and it became clear—Golden Boy Promotions was the obvious choice,” said Safar. “Having a multi division champion and Hall of Famer like Oscar De La Hoya leading my career, I can confidently say I have the best promotional team in boxing. I worked my way into a top-15 position on my own, so just imagine what we’ll accomplish together. With their experience, vision, and game plan, I don’t see how I can fail. They have big plans for me in 2025 and beyond, and together, we’re going to make history.”

“I have been boxing all of my life, and to be able to get to this point is a blessing,” said Edwards. “I want to thank Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy for believing in me and my skills. I am proud to represent Southside Houston in my journey to become a heavyweight world champion one day.”

“Signing with Golden Boy Promotions is a dream come true,” said Pacheco. “Working with Oscar De La Hoya and his team is an incredible opportunity, and I know I’m in the right place to grow as a fighter. With their guidance, I’m confident I can reach my full potential and one day become the heavyweight champion of the world.”

“I’m proud to be able to extend my contract with Golden Boy and continue my dream of being one of the best in my division,” said Kalkreuth. “With the help of Oscar and Golden Boy mixed with my determination, nothing will get in the way of me becoming a world champion.”

Born to a Swedish mother and a Kurdish father, Robin “Robz” Safar (17-0, 12 KOs) grew up in the Stockholm suburb of Visättra, where he faced numerous challenges in an environment where wrong turns were more common than success stories. At age 19, he turned to boxing as a means to rise above the adversity surrounding him. Under the watchful eye of trainer Ibn Cason, the younger brother of former heavyweight champion Hasim Rahman, Safar has worked his way to an impressive undefeated record of 17-0. He announced himself on the scene in the summer of 2024 after crushing former light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev. His dominant performance solidified him as a rising force in the cruiserweight division. With a top-15 ranking in two of the four sanctioning bodies, Safar is now on the doorstep of a world title. His journey from the streets of Visättra to the global boxing stage is a testament to his resilience and dedication to the sport.

Representing Southside Houston, No. 1 USA Boxing-ranked heavyweight Joshua “Good” Edwards is a 24-year-old powerhouse ready to prove he has the charisma and talent to be a world champion. A 2023 Pan American Games gold medalist, Edwards defeated Cuban champion Abner Teixeira in the finals, becoming only the second American to win gold in the super heavyweight division at the Pan American Games. This victory qualified him to represent the United States at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. He is also a 2021 USA Boxing national champion in the super heavyweight division. Edwards trains with Ronnie Shields and Melvin Malone in Houston.

The undefeated Federico Pacheco Jr. (7-0, 5 KOs) is a 21-year-old rising star in the heavyweight division from Los Angeles. Trained by Coach Omar Villanueva, Pacheco has quickly made a name for himself in the boxing world. Known for his powerful punches and impressive ring presence, he is a force to be reckoned with. Pacheco is also the younger brother of renowned boxer Diego Pacheco, and like his sibling, he is determined to make his mark on the sport. With a promising future ahead, Pacheco continues to hone his skills, aiming for greatness as he climbs the ranks in the heavyweight division. Despite a limited amateur background, he has proven himself by sparring with heavyweight champions and contenders as a teenager, including Zhilei Zhang, Frank Sanchez, and Arslanbek Makhmudov.

Re-signing with Golden Boy, blue-chip cruiserweight Tristan “Sweet T” Kalkreuth (14-1, 10 KOs), of Duncanville, Texas, has built a strong prospect résumé since signing with Golden Boy in 2019. Kalkreuth started boxing at age 9 under the guidance of his father and built an amateur background of more than 100 fights. A standout amateur, he is a two-time USA Boxing national champion in the youth division. Since turning professional, his record includes a majority of knockout victories against tough contenders.

LAS VEGAS, NV (August 22, 2022) – Cruiserweight, Robin Safar (15-0, 11 KOs), scored an impressive knockout against Antonio Brown (8-2, 8 KOs), to remain undefeated. The scheduled 6-round bout took place this past Friday, August 19, 2022, at the Commerce Casino in Commerce, California.

Safar, who’s managed by Oliver Cabrera, in association with FightStars, dominated the action from the opening bell. Trained by Ibin Casson, Safar took his instructions wisely as his plan was to attack the body early. Safar ended the bout when he landed a devastating left hook to the body of Brown. Brown was counted out at the 2:00 mark of round one.

Unfortunately, Safar tore his right biceps in this fight. He estimated ring return is undetermined at this time.

“I was feeling great as this fight was happening, but I felt my right biceps pop and it happened midway through the first round, which forced me to start throwing more left hooks to the body,” stated Safar. “I was thrilled that I was able to get him out of there early. Now, I must get the proper care to fix this injury. I’m hoping to be back by early next year.”

“Safar was impressive in this fight considering the circumstances,” said Mike Leanardi, CEO of FightStars. “It was unfortunate that he it looks like he tore his biceps, but I’m still awaiting the final news from the doctor. I know he will work hard to get back in the ring. He’s an extremely talented fighter and this minor bump in the road will only slow us down for the moment.”

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About FightStars:
FightStars is a world class management company. Negotiating contracts, fighter publicity, acquiring sponsors, specialized social media content, is what FightStars does within its facility. The FightStars facility is a 35,000 square foot building with a state of the art conference room, podcast studio, green screen room, boxing ring, weight and locker room.