NEW YORK, NY — Three years ago in December of 2022, a young Xander Zayas defeated Alexis Salazar Flores in the Theatre at Madison Square Garden via an 8th round unanimous decision. Then, the 18-year old Top Rank Boxing prospect was the main event attraction.
“I want to be a champion in the next two years,” he said to me as we walked outside the boxing mecca. “I know it takes time but I am ready. Couple more fights. I want to do it here,” he said with his hand raised in victory and pointing towards the Garden neon signs.
Zayas, three years later at 22 years of age is a champion, the youngest in boxing. Milked slowly with Top Rank at his side, it was a matter of time and required patience. Zayas, the San Juan, Puerto Rico born star and residing in Sunrise, Florida, went with the program.
Saturday evening in the sold out Theatre and highlighting the final Top Rank/ESPN telecast, Zayas was impressive. The journey he commenced was a celebration after defeating Mexico’s Jorge Garcia by unanimous decision (116-112, 118-110, and 119-109) to win the WBO junior middleweight world title.
Xander Zayas put on a dominant performance Saturday night at The Theatre of Madison Square Garden – Image Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank Boxing
There was never a doubt about this one, then again that journey to become a major champion began at the age of 16, an Olympic medalist who signed a contract with Top Rank Hall of Fame Promoter Bob Arum.
Arum was high on his prospect and informed Zayas to go with a plan, one fight at a time and patience that is so often difficult to understand with fighters seeking a championship and fame. But this was different because Zayas who has the look and always in business attire knew he was in good hands. Top Rank, the Garden and of course, the influx of Puerto Rican boxing fans who are always behind their fighters witnessed a young superstar on the rise.
Bob Arum and Xander Zayas after Zayas’ victory on Saturday night in New York City – Image Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank Boxing
Zayas joins that long list of champions from Puerto Rico that include Hall of Famers and four-division champion Miguel Cotto, Félix Trinidad, Héctor Camacho, Wilfred Benitez, and Wilfredo Gómez. And future Hall of Famer Amanda Serrano, the first to be undisputed having one four belts in each of the major boxing organizations, a fighter who propelled female boxing to another level.
There are more, too many to mention and realizing there is a proud and illustrious history. Serrano was one of the first to congratulate Zayas on his first major championship, a WBO belt that will lead to more in quest of unifying a division that is stacked with talent including Sebastian Fundora, the 27-year old Mexican-American WBC champion, known as “The Towering Inferno.”
Zayas thanked his mother who encouraged him when he started this journey. He thanked the fans in New York City, Puerto Rico, and the champions from Puerto Rico that preceded him. He thanked his promoters at Top Rank that went with the plan to milk and propel him to the top.
Xander Zayas salutes the crowd after his win at The Theatre of MSG – Image Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank Boxing
He met a late night into early morning crowd and posed for photos when he returned to a nearby hotel near the Garden, not one went home disappointed with a memento of the new champion and title belt hoisted around his arms.
It was Zayas (22-0, 13 KO’s), a professional inside and outside the ring who debuted and won his first fight at the age of 17. He fought at the Garden for the eighth time in his career, a technician with the jab and power when he goes to work in the ring. Zayas dominated Mexico’s Garcia by unanimous decision (116-112, 118-110, 119-109) in his first 12-round encounter. Garcia (33-5, 26 KOs), fueled by his upset win over Charles Conwell in April, launched toward Zayas with wildly thrown punches. Zayas evaded most shots, soon adjusting to a game plan of quick jabs to the body and occasional right hands.
Xander Zayas connects a right jab on Jorge Garcia in the eighth round of Saturday night’s fight – Image Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank Boxing
Garcia, though, managed to keep Zayas fighting. In the sixth round, they went toe-to-toe with hooks in the center of the ring. But by the seventh and eighth, Zayas’ counterpunching began to wear down Garcia as he easily outboxed him in the championship rounds.
He landed 50 more jabs and 19 more power punches than Garcia despite throwing 81 fewer power punches (per Compubox).
“I had to box my way to victory,” he said. “I knew that if I stood in front of him that I’d be fighting his fight. So, I did everything behind the jab. The jab was the key to victory, and we showed that today. This is a dream come true. This is beautiful. To see my Puerto Rican fans here, this is amazing. I could never dream of anything better than this.”
Xander Zayas proved to be deserving on a list of elite company Saturday night – Image Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank Boxing
Awaiting could be Fundora, a beginning to unify the titles which is always a task with different promotions on both sides. And of course purse bids that prevented Zayas from meeting Fundora, his first choice that was bypassed because of boxing politics and sanctioning organizations. Or Vergil Ortiz Jr., the WBC Junior middleweight champion could be waiting at the door.
Zayas is the youngest champion next to welterweight Brian Norman Jr., 24 years of age and also under the Top Rank promotional banner.
“It’s amazing,” he said. “It’s amazing to represent Puerto Rico at the highest level and to just put the pride of my island where it belongs at the top.”
Xander Zayas continues to raise his stock in the boxing game – Image Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank Boxing
Undercard of Latino Pride: With 12 fighters with Latino representation Top Rank Boxing highlighted their talents prior to Zayas and his win.
Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington captured the WBC interim featherweight world title with a lopsided unanimous decision (119-109 2x and 120-108) against Namibian contender Mateus Heita.
Carrington (16-0, 9 KOs) used various tools to control the action, mixing footwork, counters, and combinations. Heita (14-1, 9 KOs) proved slippery and durable, especially in the early rounds, as he withstood Carrington’s biggest shots whenever he could pierce his guard.
Emiliano Fernando Vargas (15-0, 13 KOs (Mexican-American) wanted to show out in his New York City Debut, and he needed less than a minute to do it.
The 21-year-old junior welterweight phenom blitzed Ecuador’s Alexander Espinoza (20-4-1, 9 KOs) via first-round knockout.
Emiliano Fernando Vargas knocks out Alexander Espinoza in the first round – Image Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank Boxing
Vargas measured Espinoza’s jab, slipped to avoid it, and returned with a sharp right hand to the chin. Espinoza hit the floor, and the referee waved it off at 42 seconds. He is the son of the two-time light middleweight world champion.
Vargas said, “I’m just a Mexican kid trying to make it to the top. Twenty-six years ago, my father fought here, and history repeats itself. If I could be half as great as my father was, I’ll make it a long way.”
Welterweight: Rohan Polanco (17-0, 10 KOs, Dominican Republic) cruised to a 10-round unanimous decision against Quinton Randall (15-3-1, 3 KOs). Polanco was aggressive, but Randall’s veteran tactics made it hard to catch. By the middle rounds, Polanco landed by stepping in and punching around Randall’s gloves, but he could not gain enough offensive momentum to stop him. Scores: 100-90, 99-91, and 97-93.
Rohan Polanco improved to 17-0 with his victory on Saturday night – Image Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank Boxing
Junior Bantamweight: Second-generation Puerto Rican star Juanmita López De Jesús (3-0, 2 KOs) registered a second-round TKO over countryman Jorge Gonzalez-Sanchez (5-3, 4 KOs).
Juanmita scored two knockdowns in the opening stanza and forced a stoppage at 1:14 of the following round.
Juanmita López De Jesús recorded two knockdowns in the opening round of Saturday night’s bout – Image Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank Boxing
Featherweight: Dominican contender Yan Santana (15-0, 12 KOs) shut out former world title challenger Aaron Alameda (30-3, 17 KOs) over 10 rounds to capture the NABO title. Santana easily controlled range from a shoulder roll stance, popping Alameda with counters nearly every time he tried to mount an offense.
Santana landed frequently, but Alameda’s chin withstood the punishment. Scores: 100-90, 3x.
Yan Santana won his fight against Aaron Alameda on all three scoreboards, 100-90 – Image Credit: Mikey Williams/Top Rank Boxing
“It’s a super very proud moment representing the Dominican Republic,” he said through Ricardo Figueroa his manager and translator. “ I want to be gracious to young fighters of youth growing up.”
Rich Mancuso is a senior writer and columnist at LatinoSports.com – X: @Ring786, Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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