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).