Interviews
One to watch: Xander Zayas
Over the last forty years, Puerto Rico has produced some of the most naturally talented fighters you will ever see in the ring.
Wilfredo Benitez, Felix “Tito” Trinidad, Hector Camacho and Miguel Cotto all proudly represented their country, finishing their decorated careers as world champions in multiple weight classes, with three of the four named being inducted into the coveted International Boxing Hall of Fame.
The trio took over from those who preceded them, most notably Wilfredo Gomez, another Hall of Famer and former three-division world champion.
After their unprecedented success, those who emulate it face the challenge of matching their achievements, and a fresh crop of talent from Puerto Rico aims to do just that.
Last year, Edgar Berlanga became one of the brightest stars of the next generation. The 23-year-old Up-to-date Yorker of Puerto Rican descent went 16-0 (16 KOs) with all of his wins coming in the first round, earning him the prospect of the year from Sports Illustrated and many other outlets.
Welterweight prospect Xander Zayas is on the rise and looks to take the mantle from Berlanga as he earns the title of 2021 Prospect of the Year.
The 18-year-old became the youngest signing in Top Rank’s illustrious history when he signed a promotional deal with Bob Arum’s company in 2019 after being introduced to the Hall of Fame promoter by his manager Peter Kahn.
Zayas (6-0, 5 KO) began boxing at just five years aged, encouraged by his mother to take up the sport after experiencing bullying.
At the age of 11, Xander moved to the United States. During his amateur career, Xander competed in over 100 fights, winning 11 national titles, and almost immediately felt surrounded by greatness, with his first fight being supervised by a certain Puerto Rican legend.
“Tito Trinidad, I met him when I was six or seven, it was my first fight and he was there,” Zayas said proboxing-fans.com.
“It was a great pleasure, incredible. The person who inspires me in boxing, the person I looked up to [to] Miguel Cotto appeared in the ring.
“He’s someone who was a champion of my generation in Puerto Rico, everyone watched him go and he stopped the game in Puerto Rico. He’s a player I admire and he inspires me to work difficult and want to be like him.
Zayas, who will return Saturday night on the undercard of an all-Mexico fight between WBC super featherweight champion Miguel Berchelt and Oscar Valdez in Las Vegas, has already drawn comparisons to former six-weight world champion Oscar De La Hoya.
The undefeated contender admits he is aware of the connections and is flattered by them, but is keen to maintain his status as he looks to cement his position in the coming years with his versatile style.
“I’ve heard those comparisons,” Zayas added.
“Maybe it’s because I’m youthful and always smiling. It’s an honor to be compared to legends like Oscar De La Hoya, but ultimately the most vital thing is to stay focused, dedicated and continue to work difficult.
“I am an aggressive fighter who likes to come forward, with good footwork, good head movement and a good combination of difficult shots to the body and head.
“Someone who can make that kind of change in any round [to] be able to win the fight and just generally be someone who can throw punches, can slide and counter, and just generally be an aggressive fighter.”
Zayas, who has been sparring with the returning Adrien Broner in preparation for his seventh fight, will face James Martin (6-1) at the MGM Grand Conference Center as part of Top Rank’s Bubble, and the Florida native expects the Philadelphia fighter to pass the toughest test of his career.
If he can defeat the 23-year-old, Zayas hopes to fight five more times this year as he looks to accelerate his career.
“On paper, this is the toughest competition for me,” he added.
“On Saturday evening I expect a lot of fireworks from body to head, a lot of movement, good defense, edged play, agility and strength.
“I’ve been working really, really difficult all camp and I can’t wait to showcase my talent this Saturday night, so don’t miss it on ESPN+ in the States and BoxNation in London. Don’t miss it because I’m going to put on a show.
“Saturday night I’m going to show that we’re ready and this is my year. I’m ready to take over this year.
“The goal for this year is to fight at least six times this year. I want to end the year fighting eight rounds. I also want to escalate my competitiveness every time I step into the ring and finally, most importantly, win the prospect of 2021.
Zayas is close friends with lightweight world champion Teofimo Lopez, whom he describes as his “substantial brother.”
Lopez dethroned Vasiliy Lomachenko in October, adding the WBA “Super,” WBO, and WBC Franchise belts to his IBF crown in just his 16th fight, and Zayas says that like the Brooklyn native, he’ll be ready to seize the opportunity on the biggest stage when the opportunity presents itself.
Asked if he draws inspiration from Lopez’s accelerated progress, Zayas replied: “100%. This generation is here to stay, he said.
“Again, I want to take it one step at a time. When the right opportunity comes, I know my team and I will make the decision and be ready to step into the ring with whoever they put in front of us.
“I want to fight my best, when the time comes I will give it my all and do whatever I have to to get the win.”
Zayas is in the early stages of what many expect to be a long and successful career. At just 18, he has plenty of time to develop his game, and Saturday night could bring him one step closer to carving out his own legacy as the next great Puerto Rican.
Watch the full interview with Xander Zayas below:
Janibek Alimkhanuly successfully defended his IBF middleweight crown in Sydney, systematically defeating the brave Andrei Mikhailovich, stopping him in the ninth round at The Star.
Janibek came close to stopping Mikhailovich in the second round, but had to wait before crushing him in the ninth round.
Originally, the two teams were supposed to meet in July in Las Vegas, but the undefeated Kazakh could not allow it make weight safelyand the fight had to be postponed one day until fight night.
After a delayed dispute over the WBO belt, only the IBF crown was at stake.
Janibek (16-0, 11 KO) quickly found his advantage, landing paws and body shots in the first minute, and Mikhailovich (21-1, 13 KO) tried to finish the champion.
‘Qazaq Style’ waited patiently for his debut which came in the second half when a perfectly timed shot put the challenger on unsteady feet and as the maestro applied surgical pressure he began to play with the Novel Zealander who was wobbly until another powerful left hand threw it backwards and finally onto the canvas.
It was just right and the minute’s rest came at the right time as Mikhailovich fought brilliantly in the third and fourth quarters, constantly coming forward.
Janibek largely toyed with his opponent and his rival had restricted success, but in round seven he stepped on the gas, landing sturdy combinations.
However, the 26-year-old showed courage, had miniature displays of joy after clubbing, but his race came to an end in the ninth, when Janibek uncorked his customary left uppercut and Mikhailovich moved backwards towards the ropes, the referee rightly stopped the ball contest.
The 31-year-old was frustrated in trying to secure a unification fight, but once again called up WBC champion Carlos Adames and WBA champion Erislandy Lara.
“Adames or Lara, I’m ready anytime,” he told Fox Sports after the fight.
“Send me the document and I will sign it anytime.”
Motu flows from O’Connell
Another undefeated Kiwi got into action as Mea Motu (20-0, 8 KO) warmed up for a shot at the IBF and WBO super bantamweight titles before forcing Shannon O’Connell to withdraw from a corner kick at the end three rounds of their catchweight fight.
The current IBO champion will face Ellie Scotney on October 26 in Manchester, who proved ruthless in several hefty attacks with two fists that broke the bloody O’Connell (24-8-1, 12 KO).
With the Australian having a huge cut and massive swelling on her head, her corner wisely threw in the towel.
Statement made by Mea Motu 😲#nolimitboxing #nolimitfox #janibekmichajłowicz pic.twitter.com/R5fvGVrlrE
— No Limit Boxing (@NoLimit_Boxing) October 4, 2024
Undercard remaining
Lightweight prospect Charlie Kazzi (7-0, 3 KO) won the WBC silver title in Australia, defeating Lui Magaiva (4-7, 1 KO) in the penultimate round of their eight-man bout.
Ahmed Reda (3-0, 3 KO) opened the card and scored his third straight early victory, defeating Joe Kara (5-7-1, 5 KO) in the second of a scheduled six-round lightweight bout.
Unified middleweight world champion Janibek Alimkhanuly goes to Australia next Friday, to The Star in Sydney, where he will risk winning the IBF title in a fight with undefeated Up-to-date Zealander Andrei Mikhailovich, although his WBO crown is not at stake.
ESPN+ TV Janibek vs Mikhajłowicz live in the USA, however Heavenly sports broadcast the fight in the UK.
This match was originally scheduled to take place in July in Las Vegas, but the champion was reportedly hospitalized after trying to gain weight and the fight had to be canceled after a delay.
Janibek (15-0, KO10) was promoted from WBO interim champion in 2022 and defeated Denzel Bentley in his first defense.
After knocking out Steven Butler in two rounds, the Kazakhstan added the IBF title to his collection by defeating Vincenzo Gualtieri in six rounds last October.
“Qazaq Style” will now face undefeated Aucklander Mikhailovich (21-0, 13 KO), his country’s top amateur who has won multiple free titles but has no professional victories.
The 26-year-old, who holds the IBF Pan Pacific title, has not faced anyone in the Kazakhstan class, and last April he fell before scoring to stop Edison Saltarin in the fifth round.
Mikhailovich was last seen stopping Less Sherrington in the round in April.
Prediction: This could be a miniature night for Janibek, and the guy seems to be out of his league. I think the champion can hold on through a stoppage in the first half of the fight.
Motu meets O’Connell
The undercard features another undefeated Kiwi in action, with Mea Motu taking on Shannon O’Connell in a scheduled top ten super bantamweight bout.
Motu (19-0, 7 KO) is scheduled to win the IBF and WBO titles in three weeks against defending champion Ellie Scotney and cannot afford to slip up in this fight.
“The Night” will bring her IBO title to England, which she won last April on points over Tania Walters.
The 34-year-old defended twice, and in her only fight in 2024 in April, she defeated Noppaket Srisawas in two rounds.
Former Commonwealth champion O’Connell (24-7-1, 12 KO) has fought for two world titles, most recently losing an eighth-round fight for the IBF bantamweight crown against Ebana Bridges in December 2022.
The 41-year-old was last sidelined in May, defeating Siriphon Chanbuala in the second round.
Prediction: Motu’s safety will likely be paramount with such a huge fight on the horizon, and she may score points in this one.
Undercard remaining
Prospective lightweight competitor Charlie Kazzi (6-0, 2 KO) fights for eight rounds for the second time in his career and should have already defeated Lui Magaiva (4-6, 1 KO), and the fighter from Papua Up-to-date Guinea was suspended five times in six defeats.
Wayne Telepe (1-0, 1 KO) can claim his second straight stoppage victory, this time in a scheduled four-round lightweight fight against Bashir Nassir (0-1-1).
Gervonta Davis appears ready for a December return against WBA super featherweight world champion Lamont Roach Jr
Roach Jr will move up in weight to challenge Davis for the WBA lightweight world title after Washington’s request to fight his compatriot was approved.
The WBA announced December 14 as the date for the Davis-Roach fight, although the location of the fight is unknown.
AND statement on the WBA website read: “The World Boxing Championships (WBA) Committee has granted special permission to super featherweight world champion Lamont Roach Jr. move up in class and face Gervonta Davis for the lightweight championship on December 14.
“NoXcuse Boxing Promotions submitted a formal request on September 13, which was accepted by the committee for consideration and consultation with Albert Batyrgaziev’s team, which has a mandatory 130 pounds. pretender.
“After appropriate consideration and based on the organization’s internal policies, it has been decided to grant Roach’s request, subject to certain conditions.”
If Roach dethrones Davis, he will have five days to decide which belt he will keep.
If “The Reaper” loses to the undefeated knockout fighter in Baltimore, he will have to drop down to 130 pounds to defend his belt against mandatory challenger Batyrgaziev.
The 29-year-old has won six straight fights since his lone professional loss to Jamel Herring for the WBO super featherweight world championship in 2019.
Roach once defended his WBA crown, stopping Feargal McCrory in eight rounds in June, and won the belt via split decision. Hector Luis Garciawhom “Tank” stopped in nine rounds.
Davis (29) defended his belt after a stunning knockout in the eighth round Frank Martin in Las Vegas in June and is heavily linked to a unification fight with WBC champion Shakur Stevenson.
The 27-year-old is sidelined with a hand injury and is expected to go straight into a fight with William Zepeda upon his return, ahead of a potential blockbuster against Davis.
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