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Jose Zepeda
vs. Pedro Campa & Elvis Rodriguez vs. Kenneth Sims Jr. Added
To Ramirez vs. Taylor Card
The most anticipated fight of the first half of 2021 now has
some powerful backup.
Jose “Chon” Zepeda will battle Mexican veteran Pedro Campa
in a 10-round junior welterweight battle Saturday, May 22,
which will serve as the co-feature to the undisputed junior
welterweight world title bout between WBC/WBO champion Jose
Ramirez and IBF/WBA champion Josh Taylor.
And, in a junior welterweight special attraction scheduled
for eight rounds, top prospect Elvis “The Dominican Kid”
Rodriguez will take a seismic step up against Chicago native
and one-time U.S. amateur standout Kenneth “Bossman” Sims
Jr.
This junior welterweight tripleheader will air live on ESPN
and ESPN Deportes (simulcast on ESPN+) starting at 8:30 p.m.
ET/5:30 p.m. PT. Location, venue and ticket information will
be announced shortly.
“The current and future stars of the junior welterweight
division will be on display May 22,” said Top Rank chairman
Bob Arum. “Jose Zepeda is one of the very best 140-pounders
in the world, and he’ll have a chance to cement his status
against a rugged Mexican in Pedro Campa. Elvis Rodriguez is
a future world champion. Kenneth Sims Jr. is no pushover,
but we believe this is the ideal next step as he continues
his development.”
Zepeda (33-2, 26 KOs) is coming off last October’s
fifth-round knockout over former world champion Ivan
Baranchyk, the consensus 2020 Fight of the Year that
featured eight total knockdowns culminating in the
one-hitter quitter that ended the bout. A two-time world
title challenger who pushed Jose Ramirez to a majority
decision in their 2019 showdown, Zepeda is unbeaten in four
fights since the Ramirez defeat, including a one-sided
decision over two-weight world champion Jose Pedraza. Campa
(32-1-1, 21 KOs), from Guaymas, Mexico, is 5-0-1 since the
lone defeat of his career and most recently toppled veteran
Carlos Cardenas by majority decision.
“I’m ready to go,” Zepeda said. After my Fight of the Year
with Baranchyk, I’m better than ever. It’s only a matter of
time before I become a world champion.”
The Freddie Roach-trained Rodriguez (11-0-1, 10 KOs), one of
boxing’s elite young talents, went 5-0 inside the MGM Grand
Las Vegas Bubble, including four stoppages in three rounds
or less. He went the distance for the first time in his
career Feb. 20, topping Argentinian veteran Luis Alberto
Veron by eight-round unanimous decision. Sims (15-2-1, 5
KOs), who lost to Jose Ramirez by one point at the 2012 U.S.
Olympic Trials, has sparred with the likes of Manny Pacquiao
and Jorge Linares in the paid ranks. His defeats have come
via close decisions to Rolando Chinea and Samuel Teah, but
he has won two straight since the 2018 unanimous decision
verdict to Teah. Against Rodriguez, he has the opportunity
to flash the amateur pedigree that saw him defeat the likes
of current contenders Lamont Roach Jr., O’Shaquie Foster and
Albert Bell.
Rodriguez said, "I am happy and grateful for this
opportunity, and I am going to make the most of it. It is a
great step for my career, and I want to continue to show the
boxing world that I have the talent to achieve great
things."
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