Jose Zepeda would have preferred a more convincing win than the one he claimed in his most recent fight.

The fact that his divisional rivals use it to allege that he’s clearly lost a step, however, is something that Zepeda can use to his advantage.

The claim has been made repeatedly by Josue Vargas, a Puerto Rican prospect based out of The Bronx who faces California’s Zepeda (34-2, 26KOs) this Saturday on ESPN+ from Madison Square Garden’s Hulu Theater In New York City. Vargas (19-1, 9KOs), 23, is careful to point out that he is not looking past the former title challenger, though also didn’t shy away from referencing Zepeda’s uneven win over 38-year-old Hank Lundy earlier this year in supporting his own claim of emerging victorious this weekend.

“If he’s going based on that last fight, he’s in trouble,” the 32-year-old Zepeda bluntly stated.

The scheduled ten-round junior welterweight crossroads battle has already proven contentious long before the opening bell. The main event participants and their respective teams exchanged words, shoves, punches and even faux karate kicks following Friday’s weigh-in, with little love lost between camps. Vargas has fully embraced the concept of headlining near his home base and against an opponent where a win can catapult his career.

Zepeda doesn’t seem concerned over his opponent’s chances of pulling off the feat, or of claims that he’s lost a step since his five-round, eight-knockdown war with former IBF titlist Ivan Baranchyk last October in Las Vegas. The satisfaction that will come from beating a younger foe riding a hot streak should, he believes, put an end to that talk.

“He’s a young fighter, he has a lot of experience. His team probably doesn’t know yet, but Saturday he will get to see that boxing’s not a game,” vows Zepeda, who has won his last four starts following a heartbreaking February 2019 title fight loss to then-unbeaten WBC champ Jose Ramirez. “He’s number 56 in the world. Why’s he saying this? Saturday night He’s going to find out there’s levels to this.

“I know I can go all out if I need to. I don’t think it’s going to go there. I just think I’m gonna outbox him. He believes he’s a better boxer. He believes he’s faster. He definitely doesn’t believe he hits harder. None of that matters.”

Jake Donovan is a senior writer for BoxingScene.com. Twitter: @JakeNDaBox