Jose Zepeda defeats Kendo Castaneda, but not championship caliber

Junior welterweight boxer Jose Zepeda defeated Kendo Castaneda but didn’t look like a future world champion in the process. 

Junior welterweight Jose Zepeda has lost against some big names but has shown an abundance of ability. However, he wasn’t overly impressive in his latest performance.

Zepeda (32-2, 25 KOs), 31, of La Puente, California, is 0-2 in championship bouts. He suffered an injury against Terry Flanagan in 2015 and lost a close majority decision against division kingpin Jose Ramirez. He cleanly defeated Jose Pedraza in 2019 and is in the hunt for a title shot.

On Tuesday, July 7, he outpointed last-minute replacement Kendo Castaneda but did nothing to stand out. Originally, Zepeda was supposed to fight Ivan Baranchyk, but Baranchyk suffered an injury and the bout was canceled. In stepped Castaneda on short notice.

Castaneda (17-2, 8 KOs), 26, of San Antonio, Texas, brought a solid record into his bout with Zepeda, but his résumé lacked depth. He is rated as the 71st-best welterweight in the world by Boxrec.com and works days at FedEx moving cargo.

Castaneda never stood much of a chance against Zepeda, but he put up a spirited effort against a title contender. For much of the fight, Castaneda switched between his normal orthodox stance and southpaw. At first, it seemed to bother Zepeda’s rhythm and timing, but he quickly figured Castaneda out and dominated throughout most of the fight.

In rounds 3, 4, and 5, Zepeda increased his aggression, and Castaneda wilted. Zepeda invested to the body and utilized his straight left to Castaneda’s body and head. Castaneda looked faded but bounced back.

Jose Zepeda commanded the majority of the bout against Kendo Castaneda but didn’t look like he’s able to defeat any of the reigning champions.

By round 6, Castaneda looked reinvigorated. He pushed Zepeda to the ropes and let his hands go. Castaneda never hurt Zepeda but continued to compete. Castaneda didn’t win many rounds, but he held his own with a highly regarded boxer.

Zepeda controlled the action in the later rounds, but he looked content with tallying points instead of trying to deliver a definitive victory. He coasted to a win but didn’t look like a champion in the process.

Zepeda won a unanimous decision against Castaneda with a score of 97-93, and two of 98-92. It looks good on paper, but it was an unspectacular victory. Zepeda looks stagnant in his progress. He wasn’t overly thrilled with his performance.

“I think it was good,” said Zepeda unconvincingly during the post-fight interview.

He also added in a bit of an excuse for his lackluster night.

“When the level [of opponent] goes up, I go up too,” said Zepeda.

Zepeda looked fantastic in his loss to Ramirez in 2019, but just okay against Castaneda in victory. He may earn another title shot, but Zepeda did very little to prove he will be able to obtain a championship belt around his waist.

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