Tim Bradley was visibly disheartened by what he observed from William Zepeda during his recent fight. Last Saturday night in Riyadh, Zepeda found himself on the ropes, getting dropped and struggling against Tevin Farmer. (Credit: Golden Boy/Cris Esqueda)

Zepeda's Victory and the Controversy

Zepeda emerged victorious with a 10-round split decision, but the fight was far from straightforward. In the fourth round, he was dropped by a clean left hand from the counter-punching Farmer. Despite this setback, Zepeda clearly deserved the win as he had landed numerous punches and worn Farmer down with his body shots. However, the judges failed to give him proper credit for his body work, resulting in closer scores than warranted. Farmer was outworked and overwhelmed by Zepeda's body punching. 1: This incident raises questions about Zepeda's fighting style and its effectiveness. His aggressive approach, averaging over 100 punches thrown per round, has made him popular, but it also leaves him vulnerable. If he wants to become a world champion, he may need to reevaluate his strategy. 2: The judges' decision highlights the importance of considering all aspects of a fighter's performance. Body shots can be a crucial part of a fighter's arsenal, and Zepeda demonstrated their significance in this fight. However, it seems that the judges were not fully aware of their impact.

Bradley's Advice to Zepeda

Tim Bradley believes that Zepeda must change his fighting style to become more defensive-minded. He emphasizes that if a fighter's defense is weak, they won't last long in the sport and may never achieve their championship dreams. 1: Bradley points out that Zepeda's current style, which relies heavily on offense, makes him susceptible to being dropped by opponents like Farmer. He suggests that Zepeda needs to focus on improving his defense and becoming more disciplined in the ring. 2: By becoming more defensive-minded, Zepeda can better protect himself and avoid getting caught with damaging punches. This will give him a better chance of winning fights and achieving long-term success in the sport.

The Impact of Changing Styles

If Zepeda were to change his style to be more of a boxer, there are concerns about the future of his career. His current style is the only one that has worked for him so far, and it has made him a popular fighter. However, if he were to adopt a more defensive approach, he may lose some of his edge and popularity. 1: Bradley argues that Zepeda's volume punching is what has made him successful, and if he were to give that up, he would struggle to compete against better-skilled fighters with superior power. 2: On the other hand, if Zepeda can find a balance between offense and defense, he may be able to improve his overall performance and become a more well-rounded fighter.

The Changing Landscape of Boxing

Bradley fails to recognize that the sport has evolved in the last seven years. Fans now prefer more entertaining brawling fighters rather than the boring defensive Mayweather types. Zepeda's style fits this new trend, and he is a fighter that fans want to see. 1: The shift in boxing preferences shows that fighters need to adapt to the changing times in order to succeed. Zepeda's aggressive style may be just what the sport needs to keep fans engaged. 2: However, Bradley's comparison of himself to Zepeda and his insistence on a more defensive approach may not be in line with the current trends in boxing.

Comparing Bradley and Zepeda

Bradley compares his own defense during his career to Zepeda's and uses his fight with Juan Manuel Marquez as an example. He claims to have outboxed Marquez to win by a 12-round split decision in 2013. However, he fails to mention that Marquez was 40 years old at the time, while he was only 30. 1: In reality, Bradley's defense was not better than Zepeda's. He took a significant amount of punishment during his career, losing to Manny Pacquiao twice and relying on gift decisions against opponents like Ruslan Provodnikov. 2: This shows that Bradley may not be the best person to offer advice on defense, as his own record is not without flaws.