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The Xander Zayas vs. Patrick Teixeira fight will headline the ESPN gala on June 8 in Modern York

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The Xander Zayas vs. Patrick Teixeira fight will headline the ESPN gala on June 8 in New York

Puerto Rican prospect Xander Zayas is ready for his first main event, as Top Rank announced today that the 21-year-old super welterweight champion will meet former interim champion Patrick Teixeira during an ESPN appearance on June 8 at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

This is the third 10-round appearance for Zayas (18-0, 12 KO), although he needed less than 10 rounds to eliminate Roberto Valenzuela Jr and Jorge Fortea. He immediately called for a February fight with Teixeira (34-4, 25 KO) after the latter was stopped, which was obviously not possible within two months, but now he is getting his wish on his biggest stage yet.

Brazil’s Teixeira, as Scott put it, has had a bumpy path. He clearly grew into his candidacy when Curtis Stevens punched him in 2016, but five fights later he returned to the scene and shocked then-undefeated Carlos Adames to win the WBO interim belt. What followed was a three-fight, bunny-knockout skid sandwiched between decision losses to the very talented Brian Castano and Magomed Kurbanov.

He’s back on board after three wins over delicate competition in his native Brazil and should give us a good idea of ​​where Zayas fits into the picture at 154 pounds.

Zayas said: “Representing Puerto Rico on a day when Boricua culture is celebrated and honored is a sacred commitment I make to my people. On June 8, I will no longer fight only for myself. I will fight on behalf of every Puerto Rican who always perseveres when the going gets tough. This is my first main event and my first fight against a former world champion. I intend to carry my flag and make it shine on one of the greatest stages in the world, the “Mecca of Boxing.”

Teixeira said: “It took longer than expected, but this fight has finally come. I can’t wait to get in the ring and announce the division. I already did it once when I won the world title against Adames on Top Rank, and I’ll do it again with one of their rising stars. Zayas is a great talent and everyone will support him during this significant weekend. But my experience will make a difference and I will show it on June 8.

In this joint fight, former amateur standout Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (11-0, 7 KO) will face Jose Enrique Vivas (23-3, 12 KO). Carrington’s stock hit an all-time high following the firing of Bernardo Torres in February, and while it’s not a significant gain, it should be nice. Vivas can give his all, even if he has peaked after losses to Ruben Villa, Eduardo Baez and Joet Gonzalez.

Carrington said: “Vivas should be my toughest opponent yet, but as I do every time I fight in Shu York City, I intend to put on a crowd-pleasing performance. Fighting in front of massive Puerto Rican fans is something special. I can’t wait for June 8.”

Undercard highlights include Jahi Tucker’s (10-1-1, 5 KO) comeback attempt against veteran Quincy LaVallais (17-4-1, 12 KO) and recent fights against multiple undefeated players such as Delante “Tiger” Johnson (12 -0, 6 KO) and Elijah Flores (8-0, 3 KO).

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Analysis

Highlights: Johnny Fisher knocks out Alen Babić in 36 seconds

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Highlights: Johnny Fisher knocks out Alen Babić in 36 seconds

Johnny Fisher’s first main event was a rousing success, as the heavyweight contender defeated cult favorite Alen Babić in just 0.5 seconds.

Fisher quickly found space for his right hand – never too hard with Babić and his complete indifference to defense – and the game was over quite quickly. Babic might have survived a little longer if he hadn’t got up so quickly on such shaky legs, but it was clear that for Fisher he was just a sitting duck.

You don’t want to operate it to gain too excited about the immediate prospects for Fisher (12-0, 11 KO), although this is an fascinating achievement under his belt. Babic (12-2, 11 KO) was a fun story for a while, but we saw him get dropped and stopped by much smaller men who simply didn’t hit as challenging as Fisher, and the truth is Babic doesn’t do that . have the real skill set of a professional boxer and it will be as entertaining as possible to watch.

In miniature, it was a difference in size and a matchup right behind Babic, but Babic had little face value. And that’s why Eddie Hearn took the fight. Don’t expect Hearn to push the 25-year-old ‘Romford Bull’ up the ladder from here; rather, you can expect him to get back to the level he was at, maybe a little higher, and there’s nothing wrong with that. This is the right path of development. Babic was an intriguing side trip, a main event, and worth some money compared to Fisher’s average opponent.

On the card below, Reece Bellotti (19-5, 14 KO) continued his mid-1930s resurgence by defending his British and Commonwealth super featherweight titles with a decision victory over Levi Giles (15-2, 4 KO). The scores were 117–110, 118–110, and 118–110.

We witnessed an upset when Jasmina Zapotoczna (8-1, 0 KO) defeated flyweight candidate Maisey Rose Courtney (6-1, 0 KO) over 10 rounds, scoring 96-94, 97-93 and 98-92.

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Analysis

Brandun Lee signs a contract with Queensberry Promotions

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Brandun Lee signs a contract with Queensberry Promotions

American super lightweight Brandun Lee has signed with Frank Warren’s Queensberry Promotions.

The 25-year-old Lee (28-0, 23 KO) has not fought for 15 months. He first started making his mark on ShoBox cards and then became a regular on Premier Boxing Champions shows.

Most recently, he defeated Pedro Campa by 10-round decision. Lee had gained some momentum as an thrilling prospect but has seen it fade a bit and of course the long period of inactivity hasn’t helped that, but getting back vigorous will certainly facilitate.

It’s also a notable move because Warren’s company hasn’t looked much outside the UK for talent acquisition to date. The company also announced the signing of Nathan Lugo, a standout American amateur who turned professional in April as a super middleweight on Overtime Boxing.

It looks like Queensberry are looking to expand their talent signing map. It’s unclear whether this means Warren will look to promote in the United States – as Matchroom’s Eddie Hearn did – but it’s also a fresh time in boxing, with Saudis supporting cards purportedly promoted by Warren and/or Hearn.

This may simply indicate that Warren sees an opportunity to expand his lineup with more options on these cards, as well as his own in the UK. Lee is a promising fighter who can quickly become a contender in a currently unstable (and intriguing) division, Lugo is a viable prospect and these are good moves considering the talent.

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Analysis

Jack Catterall vs Josh Taylor fight justified, says Bob Arum

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Jack Catterall vs Josh Taylor fight justified, says Bob Arum

Top Rank promoter Bob Arum still admits he was not thrilled with the official results of the rematch between Josh Taylor and Jack Catterall, which saw Catterall take a unanimous decision on scores of 116-113, 117-111 and 117-111. Interview with Sky SportsArum claims he was personally involved in the fight and believes the score was too high in Catterall’s favor.

“Let me explain. I was in Leeds for that fight. I watched this fight closely. The fight could have ended in three ways: Catterall 7-5 [in rounds]7-5 Taylor, even 6-6,” Arum said Heavenly sports.

Arum continued by saying that the judges’ official ratings were unacceptable, although he refrained from making any accusations of corruption. With that in mind, he truly believes Taylor did no favors, which is what caused his post-fight reaction.

“I was really nervous because Taylor is my fighter, we promote him. But not necessarily because I thought he definitely won the fight. I just thought it did him a disservice that the scorecards were so broad. I was sitting next to Eddie Hearn, whose player was Catterall, and he scored a goal and it was a very, very close fight.”

In lithe of the result and the split between Taylor and Catterall after the two fights, Arum feels he naturally deserves a third fight, especially given the fan reaction to the event, but says he will have to see how it all really comes together point in this fight.

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