By: Sean Crose
The 24-7-1 Ivan Redkach took on the 37-5 Jose Zepeda Friday night in Temecula, California. Their scheduled 10 rounder, which was for the Interim WBC silver welterweight title, was the main even of a Marvnation card broadcast on the DAZN streaming service. A terrific left to the body sent Redkach down and almost out in the first. Redkach gamely got to his feet but he was clearly in a world of trouble Somehow, the Ukrainian fighter managed to survive the round.
Zepeda played it patient early in the second while the southpaw Redkach advanced on his man. Still, a combination, put Redkach down again later in the round. Redkach got up a second time, but it was all but over. A final, stinging body shot put Redkach down and out. The referee, knowing the fight was finished, wisely didn’t bother counting before stopping the bout.
“I trained really hard and I was confident in my conditioning, so I threw a lot of punches,” Zepeda said afterwards. “I definitely felt stronger, that’s for sure. At forty seven (one forty-seven) I have full energy.” There was talk during the post fight interview of a possible rematch with Regis Prograis, who had previously defeated Zepeda. “Anything that’s going to be a war,” Zepeda said, “I’m down for it.”
Zepeda-Redkach was one of those fights where two veterans of the game wanted to prove to the world they still had it. While Redkach clearly didn’t impress, Zepeda looked quite proficient in the ring. With that being said, he was facing a man considered well past his prime. A potential rematch with a fighter as popular and well thought of as Prograis, however, might well keep Zepeda in the game.
Whether or not that rematch will become a reality, of course, remains to be seen.