Boxing Challenge: Zepeda Knocks Out Baranchyk in Fight of the Year

The term "War" is often overused in boxing as it seems that social media is filled with promotional companies and Twitter accounts claiming each good fight was an absolute "War" in order to show that their company/promotion/managerial team is the best etc.

However, there are the rare nights that you are watching something special and no adjectives need to be applied- you just enjoy the show.

Jose Zepeda's fifth-round knockout of former IBF junior welterweight champion Ivan Baranchyk offered as much as you could ask for from a fight.

Action, knockdowns from both fighters, constant swings in momentum, never a certainty in which fighter was going to have their hand raised, and the conclusive knockout that leaves no doubt of the victor all were part of this story.

The number one contender in the WBC was decided in the bout and the victory placed Zepeda into position to face the Jose Ramirez-Josh Taylor winner or for a vacant title, should that winner decide to vacate immediately.

But the more important note, in the long run, is what Zepeda and Baranchyk created in their just under fifteen minutes of violence- the memory of what may have been the best fight since Diego Corrales-Jose Luis Castillo I.

I'll try to be concise with this recap of the action.

Round 1: Baranchyk scores a knockdown

                Baranchyk scores another knockdown

Round 2: Baranchyk charges out of the corner to finish Zepeda.

                Zepeda scores a knockdown and seems on the verge of ending the fight.

                Baranchyk scores a knockdown as Zepeda bulls him along the ropes in an attempt to finish Baranchyk.

Round 3: Zepeda drops Baranchyk 

Round 4  Zepeda knocks down Baranchyk

Round 5: With thirty-five seconds to go in the round, Baranchyk lands a right hand that sends Zepeda flying into the corner with only the turnbuckle keeping Zepeda standing, referee Kenny Bayliss correctly scores this a knockdown.

Bayliss gives the standing eight count, Baranchyk moves forward in another attempt to stop Zepeda.

With Zepeda's back to the ropes, Zepeda lands a right hand that turns Baranchyk directly into a left hook that sent Baranchyk's right leg curling underneath his falling body as he lands in a position that usually equals torn knee ligaments in the NFL.

Fight over.

Eight knockdowns ( four for each man) and what seemed to be a ninth was ruled no knockdown in the second by referee Kenny Bayliss as Zepeda stepped inside a Baranchyk hook and clipped him with a right, but Bayliss must have thought it was from tangling of feet.

The entire fifth round sequence I described was less than twenty seconds, but it's twenty seconds of combat that you would be fortunate to see at all, but to see it live?

Well, that is very special.

ESPN's Steve Kim had a terrific idea of showing this entire fight on ESPN (This was the main event on ESPN+) during the telecast of Vasily Lomachenko-Teofimo Lopez on the 17th and I love the idea.

If you can watch that and not walk away after enjoying it, then there is no hope in boxing ever grasping your heart as a fan.

This has to be the fight of the year unless something better comes along before the year ends (Good luck beating this one) and might be the knockout of the year, although Alexander Povetkin's one-punch knockout of Dillian Whyte will give Zepeda-Baranchyk a run for its money in that category.

Best fight since Corrales-Castillo I?

I might say so, but give me a bit to ponder whether it is better than 2013 (Timothy Bradley-Ruslan Provodnikov) or 2014's  (Lucas Matthysse-John Molina) fight of the year.

I would clearly give Zepeda-Baranchyk the edge over any other fight since Corrales-Castillo I in 2005.

Should there be a rematch?

Well, action-wise it certainly would seem warranted, but Zepeda will be reluctant to risk a guaranteed title shot and I'm not sure that a rematch would be just as good as this one.

Entering this fight, Zepeda was considered more of a boxer than a puncher and who knows what Zepeda will have remaining after this one, let alone Baranchyk, who was whisked to the hospital as a preventative measure after the final concussive left hook.

It's very possible that Zepeda could see what he did wrong in this fight and choose to do what he does best- box Baranchyk, and win with a lot more ease if not more style.

The best fights often come when a boxer is forced to slug 

Ivan Baranchyk made Jose Zepeda fight in the manner that Baranchyk wished and still, it was Zepeda emerging victorious.

Perhaps the best thing might be to leave this one on the shelf alone and let it stand for itself.

Should Zepeda pick up one of those sure to be vacated belts, the rematch could always be made, but for now, let's keep this one as a one-volume set.

Entitle it- "One Boiling Night in A Bubble"...

In the boxing challenge, Ramon Malpica and I each added one point for the Zepeda victory.

I lead the challenge 129-118.