Golden Boy’s September 16th fight card featured Mexican lightweight contender William Zepeda and unified women’s minimumweight champion Yokasta Valle continuing their winning ways with rather dominant performances. The DAZN-televised event was held at the Commerce Center in California.
William Zepeda (29-0, 25 KO’s) secured a KO victory over six rounds (out of twelve) against Filipino contender Mercito Gesta (34-4-3, 17 KO’s) to maintain his undefeated streak. Despite a slow start in the first round, which Zepeda narrowly won, he dominated the rest of the rounds, establishing himself as the superior fighter from the second round onwards.
Mercito Gesta was outgunned, outpaced, and outworked by William Zepeda, who kept the fight in close quarters and pummeled the Filipino fighter continuously with dangerous combinations of hooks and uppercuts. Despite Gesta’s valiant effort, he was no match for the more active, quicker, and more powerful Zepeda, who seemed determined to secure a knockout or stoppage victory.
By the fifth round, Gesta displayed visible signs of being hurt but continued to fight on, allowing Zepeda to inflict more damage than in the previous rounds. In the sixth round, Gesta found himself on the ropes again, where Zepeda landed a series of combinations, prompting the referee to intervene and stop the fight.
While the referee’s decision would typically be considered a stoppage win for Zepeda, his victory was ruled a standing knockout in accordance with California State Athletic Commission rules, and he was declared the winner by KO.
Zepeda’s performance showcased his boxing prowess, particularly his effectiveness and ability to inflict damage in close-quarters combat. His elite conditioning was evident, as he launched multiple effective combinations throughout the six rounds he spent in the ring with Gesta. His power was also a notable factor in the bout, visibly damaging Gesta several rounds before securing the knockout.
Zepeda’s recent performance and result position him as a potential world title contender in the lightweight division, and his victory will likely lead to consideration as a mandatory challenger in the near future. This is especially relevant in the WBC division, which currently lacks a champion, with Shakur Stevenson (20-0, 10 KO’s) and Edwin De Santos (16-1, 14 KO’s) set to to fight for the vacant position of WBC lightweight champion.
Costa Rican WBO & IBF women’s minimumweight champion Yokasta Valle (29-2, 9 KO’s) also featured on the card, marking her sixth title defense for the IBF and third as the WBO champion. She faced Guatemalan Maria Micheo Santizo (11-4, 6 KO’s), a former world title contender.
Santizo proved to be no match for Valle, who appeared to win every round convincingly, retaining her two world titles. While her performance was reminiscent of the only other unified champion in the division, Seniesa Estrada (25-0, 9 KO’s), Valle’s efforts did not result in a KO, unlike Estrada’s victories.
Valle’s next logical step appears to be a unification bout with Seniesa Estrada (holder of the WBA and WBC titles at minimumweight), which would potentially result in an undisputed championship fight. Both fighters have held world titles at 105 lbs for several years but have yet to face each other. Now that they both hold two world titles each, an undisputed clash between the two seems to be the logical and exciting path for both of their careers.
The remainder of the Golden Boy Promotions card featured up-and-coming prospects and talented fighters solidifying their positions as contenders. It was a night without major surprises, as every fighter on the Golden Boy roster met expectations by emerging victorious in their respective bouts.
Both Zepeda and Valle now stand at a crossroads in their careers, with the opportunity to take the next step forward. Their recent performances confirmed their potential for success, with Zepeda eyeing a world title challenge in one of boxing’s deepest divisions, while Valle has the chance to make history by becoming undisputed champion, earning the accolades and rewards that come with such a rare achievement.
