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The main co-feature on HBO Latino’s Atlantic City broadcast last night featured one of Golden Boy Promotion’s rising stars, Philadelphia’s Demetrius Hopkins. The nephew of modern day great Bernard Hopkins, the undefeated Demetrius went into this bout as perhaps the best American light welter prospect. Possessing sharp reactionary skills along with superb timing and punch selection, Hopkins was set to face the very dangerous Mexican Ernesto “Baby Face” Zepeda, who had not lost in his last five outings and had beaten former lightweight world champion Cesar Bazan in the process.
Round one: The fight starts with Zepeda charging at Hopkins and Hopkins moving laterally with his hands very high, looking very much like his uncle. The first minute is rather action less, with both fighters just occasionally lunging with the jab. Zepeda is charging in when Hopkins positions himself against the ropes but Hopkins is doing a good job of combating the quick fist of Zepeda with a stiff defense. Hopkins is throwing the jab a lot now at with one minute left in the round, but isn’t following up and is avoiding any Zepeda counters. He first round was rather action less with just the occasional jab from both fighters. Zepeda tried to throw some power punches but landed nothing.
Round: Zepeda 10-9 Fight: Zepeda 10-9
Round two: Lets see what both fighters can do after a tentative first round for both fighters. Demetrius comes out popping the jab, and has lowered his hands a bit. Zepeda lunges with a jab and Hopkins counters with a jab, straight combination. Hopkins throws his first hook of the fight a minute in this round, landing a hook to the side of Zepeda’s head. At the minute thirty mark, Hopkins once again pins himself off the ropes, but counters any Zepeda charge with a lunging jab. Two minutes in, the distance has closed, but Zepeda still looks frustrated as Hopkins’ hooks are quicker then Zepeda’s and when they’re on the inside, Hopkins is winning. Good round for Hopkins.
Round: Hopkins 10-9 Fight: 19-19
Round three: The round starts with Hopkins moving a lot and jabbing as he circles the ring. The first minute once again just consist of nothing but Hopkins throwing jabs, with a couple of clinches mixed in. A minute in, Zepeda tries to go low to the body with a hook and Hopkins counters with two hooks upstairs. Zepeda is having a little more success with Hopkins on the rope this round, but still has yet to squarely land the hooks he has been throwing. With fifteen seconds left, Hopkins puts Zepeda on the ropes and lands a big overhand right, the round closes with Zepeda on the ropes and Hopkins landing hooks. That was the first time Hopkins really pressured Zepeda.
Round: Hopkins 10-9 Fight: Hopkins 29-28
Round four:The round starts with Hopkins jabbing again and at the minute thirty mark he ducks under an overhand right. Zepeda looks to have a little bit of fire in his eyes this round, but as evidenced by a jab, straight combo Hopkins landed with his back against the ropes, Hopkins’ hand speed might be to much for Zepeda to overcome. Zepeda is charging ahead a lot more this round, and two minutes into the round lands a very nice straight right to Hopkins’ jaw. Hopkins didn’t look hurt however, and just continued with circling the ring popping the jab until the round closes. Hopkins’ round.
Round: Hopkins 10-9 Fight: Hopkins 39-37
Round five: The round starts, as usual, with Hopkins circling the ring and jabbing, and more often then not is landing. Zepeda looks very beat up in the face, and is fighting with a sense of urgency, charging every chance he gets with Hopkins on the ropes. Hopkins just keeps circling off the ropes while throwing his left hook, Zepeda hasn’t thrown a right hook yet so I think Hopkins will be able to win this fight just off the way he fights against the ropes. Hopkins is fighting entirely on the defensive, and it is working as he is counterpunching Zepeda nicely. Each of the last two rounds have slowed down a lot in the last minute, after srong charges from Zepeda for the first two.
Round: Hopkins 10-9 Fight: Hopkins 49-46
Round six: Once again, Hopkins is jabbing and Zepeda is trying to get inside of his jab and unleash some hooks of his. Zepeda lands a straight right that lands square on Hopkins nose thirty seconds in and Hopkins immediately clinches. Hopkins keeps clinching for forty seconds there after, allowing him to recover, or so It seems. Two minutes in, the round has been fairly action less, with lots of clinches and not many punches on the inside. Each clinch consist of Zepeda lunging with the jab, Hopkins clinching and the ref coming in. Zepeda lunges in again with the jab with Hopkins back to the ropes and Hopkins circles out while landing a left hook right on Zepeda’s nose. Very boring round, Hopkins might be tired.
Round: Zepeda 10-9 Fight: Hopkins 58-56
Round seven: Zepeda comes out of his corner and meets Hopkins at his, but Hopkins ducks under his lunging jab and the round starts with a clinch. The fight quickly gets back to Hopkins jabbing and circling the ring without following up for the first minute and a half. Two minutes in, Zepeda throws one of his wide hooks he threw in the first round and Hopkins counters with a big left hook that again lands squarely. With ten seconds left Hopkins lands a left hook and chases Zepeda to the ropes where the round ends. Zepeda might have been hurt at the end of the round.
Round: Hopkins 10-9 Fight: Hopkins 68 – 65
Round eight: The round starts with Hopkins throwing the jab and landing a left and right hook right to Zepeda’s belt line. Hopkins steps back and just keeps popping the jab, something he’s done all fight. Zepeda has been fighting very actively, but still hasn’t landed the big shot that penetrated Hopkins’ defenses. As has been the case in the last five rounds, the last minute takes place with both fighters in the center of the ring on the inside, with neither fighters doing any serious damage to one another. Hopkins’ round.
Round: Hopkins 10-9 Fight: Hopkins 78-74
Round nine: No surprise here, the first thirty minutes is just Hopkins circling the ring. Zepeda charges Hopkins on while he was on the ropes thirty seconds in, but Hopkins circles out and lands a straight right and uppercut that downs Zepeda. Zepeda is out, and the fight is over.
This is an impressive victory for Demetrius Hopkins and the Philadelphian moves to 21-0 (8) and at twenty four years of age is now prepared to face the lower rungs of the top class at light welter. The twenty eight year old Ernesto Zepeda falls to 37-9-4 (32).
