Jose Zepeda: Boxing Career and Notable Fights
José “Chon” Zepeda is a Mexican-American boxer from Long Beach, California, who has competed at super lightweight. He is known for high-level bouts with José Carlos Ramírez, Iván Baranchyk, José Pedraza and Regis Prograis.
Title fights and a dramatic knockout win
Zepeda’s 2020 fight with former IBF champion Iván Baranchyk became one of the year’s most memorable contests: both men were knocked down repeatedly before Zepeda stopped Baranchyk in the fifth round. Zepeda also earned a unanimous-decision win over José Pedraza in 2019.
Zepeda has challenged for major world titles at lightweight and super lightweight. Zepeda lost a majority decision to José Carlos Ramírez in 2019 in a challenge for Ramírez’s WBC super-lightweight belt. In November 2022, Regis Prograis stopped him in the 11th round in a contest for the vacant WBC title. Zepeda later returned to the ring, stopping Ivan Redkach in the second round in September 2024.
Further career results
His first world-title attempt came against Terry Flanagan in July 2015 for the vacant WBO lightweight championship. A shoulder injury ended Zepeda’s challenge after two rounds. That injury stoppage and the later majority-decision loss to Ramírez were different kinds of setbacks: the former ended before the contest could develop, whereas the latter required the judges to separate the fighters after twelve rounds. The Prograis fight gave Zepeda another opportunity at 140 pounds, following his wins against Pedraza and Baranchyk. The September 6, 2024 Redkach bout took place in Temecula, California. Zepeda attacked the body, scored three knockdowns and finished the fight in round two. It was a stoppage victory, rather than a points win. His record therefore includes both sustained twelve-round performances and abrupt finishes, with the Baranchyk fight standing out for the repeated changes of momentum before the decisive fifth round. The sequence of Flanagan, Ramírez and Prograis also establishes three separate world-title challenges across two divisions.
Sources
Additional sources: https://boxingnewsonline.net/news/jose-zepeda-knocks-out-ivan-redkach-in-two-rounds/; https://boxerlist.com/en/boxer/jose-zepeda/386724; https://www.ringmagazine.com/news/jose-zepeda-floors-ivan-redkach-three-times-earns-second-round-knockout-win-B1NPtMRgnBIKVoCTze9w6
- BoxRec: José Zepeda
- WBC: Zepeda–Prograis preview
- Matchroom Boxing: Prograis stops Zepeda
- Bad Left Hook: Zepeda–Redkach results
