Jose Zepeda erases Josue Vargas via round 1 TKO (video)

Super lightweight contender Jose Zepeda made a statement by blitzing Josue Vargas for the round 1 TKO against Josue Vargas. 

Some people thought that boxer Jose Zepeda was on the decline of his boxing career at the age of 32, but he proved that’s not the case in a big way against Josue Vargas.

Vargas (19-2, 9 KOs) had a lot going in his favor on paper. He’s younger than Zepeda at 23 years old, he was fighting in front of his hometown at the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York, and he had a strong record.

None of that mattered against Zepeda.

Zepeda (35-2, 27 KOs) is known for his punching power, and he let the fans in the crowd and those watching on ESPN+ see why. He dropped Vargas early in round 1 with a straight left hand perfectly placed on Vargas’s chin.

Jose Zepeda put boxing’s super lightweight division on notice with his round 1 TKO of Josue Vargas

Vargas’s legs were shot. He struggled to get to his feet but barely beat the count. The fight probably should have been stopped there, but it continued.

Zepeda came charging in, trapped Vargas against the ropes, and beat Vargas to the canvas with lefts and rights. The referee tried to stop the fight before Vargas went down, but he slumped to the ground in a stupor.

Zepeda won the fight via round 1 TKO. He was unimpressive against Hank Lundy in May but looked rejuvenated against Vargas. He challenged Jose Carlos Ramirez for the WBC title in 2019 and showed that he’s worthy of another title shot.