Boxing
Xander Zayas recalls attending Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show
Published
2 months agoon
On the evening of January 31, Puerto Rico’s Xander Zayas (23-0, 13 KO) celebrated the biggest victory of his boxing career, becoming the unified junior middleweight champion by defeating Abass Baraou by unanimous decision in front of his hometown fans.
On the morning of February 1, Zayas flew to San Francisco to meet Bad Bunny to rehearse for his role in the Puerto Rican recording artist’s highly anticipated Super Bowl LX halftime performance.
Suffice it to say that the last two weeks have been a special time for Zayas.
“This is what happens when you put in the work and wait your turn,” Zayas, 23, told ESPN on Tuesday. “Everything was aligned for me and great things were happening. I got off to a good start in 2026 by putting in the work, keeping my head down, and when opportunities presented themselves, I was able to shine.”
Zayas, currently the youngest world boxing champion, made a cameo appearance during Bad Bunny alongside Mexican boxer Emiliano Vargas – a nod to the notable boxing rivalry between Puerto Rico and Mexico in a moment that immediately went viral.
They joined a star-studded list of celebrities that included Ricky Martin, Lady Gaga, Pedro Pascal, Cardi B, Jessica Alba, Karol G and Ronald Acuna Jr. as Bad Bunny’s captivating stage performance paid tribute to Puerto Rican culture.
Zayas, who signed with Bad Bunny’s Rimas Sports, told ESPN last September that he was targeting a 2026 breakout, but even he didn’t think it would start this way.
“It was the greatest experience of my life,” Zayas said, while noting that he was shocked when singer Ricky Martin, who also performed at the show, recognized who he was. “I expected to be the unified world champion, but I never expected to be part of the Super Bowl.”
Two weeks before his match with Baraou, then the WBA junior middleweight champion, Zayas received a call asking if he would like to attend Bad Bunny’s halftime show. The obvious answer was yes, but Zayas still had a task ahead of him: win the Baraou fight, which he did by a thrilling unanimous decision in Puerto Rico.
“I didn’t want to go into the Super Bowl as an underdog, so I definitely had to get that win first,” Zayas said. “They understood and had no plans until I won. But his team told me that when I won on January 31, I would have to fly to training the next day. So I literally wrestled on Saturday night, left the gym at 3 a.m. and hopped on a plane to San Francisco.”
Bad Bunny was in Los Angeles on February 1 to accept a Grammy Award for his album “Debí Tirar Más Fotos,” which won Album of the Year. However, he had watched Zayas fight the night before.
Upon Bad Bunny’s arrival in San Francisco, he immediately greeted Zayas with a hug as the two briefly celebrated their victories before getting to work. Zayas had previously seen what Bad Bunny had prepared and was proud of what the Latin rapper was preparing to present to the world.
“I was very proud because I had the chance to experience all this before it happened,” Zayas said. “I got to see all the work that everyone put in, not just the performers, but the entire production. It was a great experience to eat with everyone and stand next to Ricky Martin and Lady Gaga.”
For a man who does this for a living, Zayas said his performance was more stressful than any prize fight he had ever entered.
“I box for a living, so I’m always prepared, but I’ve never been to the Super Bowl,” Zayas said. “I had never been around 70,000 people and I definitely didn’t want to do something and screw up. So of course I was very careful and very nervous.”
With the weekend behind him and significant attention focused on his next move, Zayas is already planning his next fight.
“[IBF junior middleweight champion] Josh Kelly is my next victim,” said Zayas, who hopes to fight at Modern York’s Madison Square Garden during the Puerto Rican Day weekend parade on June 13. “I want all the belts. I’m trying to be like Thanos and get all the Infinity Stones and blow everyone away.
While he waits for this fight to be resolved, Zayas can bask in the fact that he has accomplished more in two weeks than most people achieve in a lifetime. Still, he believes there are even bigger things to come in his career.
“For now, I will rest in Puerto Rico and enjoy this moment, but from now on, every moment will be greater and better than the last because now I have to continue to enrich my legacy,” he said.
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Boxing
World champion claims Conor Benn pulled out of fight after ‘setting up the whole deal’
Published
14 minutes agoon
April 25, 2026
Conor Benn could be ready for a world title fight against Ryan Garcia, but there is one reigning world champion who claims the Briton recently pulled out of a title shot even though “the whole deal has already been done.”
Benn made his Zuffa Boxing debut earlier this month. defeating Regis Prograis in a 150-pound catchweight bout – his first fight at sub-154 pounds in four years – and now he looks ready to fight for world titles at welterweight.
Although his position as mandatory challenger for the WBC title put him in line to face Garcia, WBA 147-pound champion Rolando Romero claimed that Benn had withdrawn from the title fight.
I’m talking to Fighting Hub TV“Rolly” explained why he doubted the Garcia fight would happen and revealed that he expected to fight Benn until “The Destroyer” changed his mind.
“Conor Benn waived me, we had the whole deal done, we were supposed to fight on May 30 in Fresh York for my world title, and then he just disappeared out of nowhere.
Conor Benn was there begging to fight me. By the way, we already had everything planned, but he’s in Fresh York trying to create all this fuss and stuff – he did it for advantage. Same with this, he can do this with Ryan too to gain strength.
“They’re out there trying to do all this stuff, I don’t do this imitation beef. That throws me off, you go and do all this imitation beef and then you come here and act like a gigantic, tough guy and then you run away and don’t fight.”
“Maybe he was doing it with Ryan because Ryan would have knocked him out cool.”
Garcia and Benn could collide this summer in Las Vegas when Benn returns to the welterweight division in a direct world title fight.
Boxing
Jermell Charlo picks Tim Tszyu to defeat Errol Spence Jr
Published
2 hours agoon
April 25, 2026
Charlo then launched into a longer explanation, questioning what version of Spence would emerge after his years outside the ring and claiming that style favored Tszyu.
“He has little defense. Errol will come in softly. He doesn’t really move his head. Tim moves his head. He throws a few stone hay shots. “I just follow my fighting style and be realistic.”
Jermell looked like a war veteran and described the fight, giving reasons why he chose Tszyu to beat Spence.
For years, these two towers were the “Twin Towers” of Derrick James’ gym in Dallas. They shared celebrations, sweat and secrets. The problem is that Errol was very vocal about these sessions, essentially telling the world that he was “teaching” Jermell.
For a guy like Charlo, who carries enormous pride and has built his “Lions Only” brand on being the alpha, having a former teammate claim dominance over him is a stain he can’t wash off in a sanctioned fight.
Having never fought professionally, these gym stories are the only narrative that exists and you have to wonder if it’s still eating at him.
Charlo also indicated the location, with the fight expected to take place in Australia.
“He’s going to Australia there. I see Tim Tszyu winning that fight,” Jermell said.
X is having a field day because Charlo looks like a man who sat in a dim room and watched Spence’s training videos over and over again. Fans call this the “villain arc” energy. He spoke quickly, louder and louder, and seemed personally interested in the answer.
During the prophecy, Jermell had a diabolical look in his eyes, as if he were performing a technical exorcism on his elderly rival.
When he has such wide eyes and high energy intensity, he tends to rely on his “Only Lions” personality, which thrives on perceived disrespect. In this case, the disrespect is the years in which Errol Spence Jr. he claimed to be the “substantial brother” at the gym.
“I don’t have to fight Errol Spence and I don’t care about fighting Errol Spence,” Jermell said.
Jermell is essentially using Tim Tszyu as a proxy. Since Charlo hasn’t fought at 154 pounds since 2022, he needs Spence to lose to someone else to prove that the elderly era (the Derrick James era) is over. If Tszyu destroys Spence, it will validate Charlo’s technical criticism and make his inactivity look like a calculated move rather than a decline.
Chris Williams is a senior writer for Boxing News 24covering sports since 2013 and reporting on major events around the world. His relationships range from established champions to hungry prospects vying for recognition. Over the years, Chris has worked with many of boxing’s top brass, earning respect for his insightful analysis and insider perspective.
Boxing
Roy Jones Jr sums up Tyson Fury’s chances of beating top-ranked Lennox Lewis
Published
4 hours agoon
April 25, 2026
Britain has produced some great heavyweights in recent years, ending an almost century-long curse and seeing success in the division ever since. Predicting the outcome of the clash between two of the best fighters in the country, Lennox Lewis and Tyson Fury, Roy Jones Jr said it would be a “great fight”.
Bob Fitzsimmons became the first British world heavyweight champion in 1897, and he and Jones remain the only two fighters in boxing history to have won both middleweight and heavyweight world titles.
However, Great Britain struggled for success in the division after the Fitzsimmons fight, unable to claim heavyweight supremacy until Lennox Lewis became WBC world champion in 1992. Britain has since crowned its title 11th world heavyweight championFabio Wardley, who follows in the footsteps of Fury and Anthony Joshua.
In an interview with Grosvenor CasinoJones said he would give Lewis an advantage over the “Gypsy King” if they met in their prime.
“Tyson Fury vs. Lennox Lewis? That would be a great fight, but my first thought was Lennox Lewis because of his power. But my second thought was also that Tyson Fury was great at making adjustments. I would go with Lennox Lewis.”
At least one heavyweight world title is expected to remain in a Briton’s hands for some time, with Daniel Dubois scheduled to face another Briton, Fabio Wardley, for the WBO belt next month.
In the meantime, we hope 21-year-old Moses Itauma can continue Britain’s success for many years to come, with the youngster considered by many to be the hottest prospect in boxing.
As for Fury, he is focused on the UK-wide megafight with Joshua – their own ‘Battle of Britain’ after Lennox fought Frank Bruno in 1993.
World champion claims Conor Benn pulled out of fight after ‘setting up the whole deal’
Jermell Charlo picks Tim Tszyu to defeat Errol Spence Jr
Roy Jones Jr sums up Tyson Fury’s chances of beating top-ranked Lennox Lewis
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