Boxing
Xander Zayas recalls attending Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl LX halftime show
Published
3 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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“Well, again, I don’t know what his financial situation is. He earned a lot of money from us. But, you know, he lives in Ukraine and there are a lot of problems there, maybe he needs money, or maybe he just wants to get away from home,” Arum said in an interview with Fighthype.
Arum’s comments drew attention because promoters rarely speculate publicly on whether a returning fighter might be financially motivated. Lomachenko hasn’t fought since stopping George Kambosos Jr. in May 2024. in the fight for the IBF lightweight title, and then left boxing.
The former three-division world champion is now 38 years venerable and has shown signs of decline in the later stages of his lightweight career. Losses to Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney, as well as a complex stretch at 135 pounds, have raised questions about how much Lomachenko has left in his long absence from the ring.
Arum admitted he doesn’t know what version of Lomachenko will return if the comeback continues.
“I don’t know what, if anything, Lomachenko has lost after his two-year retirement. So it would be wrong to hypothesize how he would fare against all these younger guys. We’ll just have to see,” Arum said.
The interviewer asked Arum if Lomachenko would still be able to compete with younger names like Shakur Stevenson, Abdullah Mason and Raymond Muratalla, but Arum avoided making predictions.
Despite the uncertainty surrounding the return, Arum continued to praise Lomachenko as one of the best fighters promoted by Top Rank during his career with the company.
“Loma represents the best of boxing. So I wish him all the best because he has been a great fighter for us and he truly embodies the best of boxing,” Arum said.

Robert Segal is a boxing reporter at Boxing News 24 with over a decade of experience covering fight news, previews and analysis. Known for his first-hand reporting and in-ring perspective, he delivers trustworthy coverage of champions, challengers and emerging talent from around the world.
The Dubois family has already produced two world champions. Now another name is starting to attract attention in British boxing.
Daniel Dubois and sister Caroline turned the family name into one of the most celebrated names in British boxing, but now a different Dubois is quietly emerging from the amateur ranks.
According to many, including Stanley’s father, Solomon Dubois may finally become the best of them all.
Another Dubois appears
The 13-year-old turned heads at national tournaments as he developed under the Dubois umbrella. Stanley, the man who helped shape Daniel and Caroline into world champions, is overseeing his second son’s progress.
Daniel himself has publicly endorsed Solomon to one day become a major force in the sport as the youngest member of the fighting family continues his rise.
This naturally creates expectations.
Over the years, a lot has been written and said about the Dubois family, but not all of it was positive. Family feuds, public disagreements, pressure and media attention have followed the name for much of Daniel and Caroline’s career.
Fresh chapter
However, in Solomon’s case, there is already a feeling that boxing could be the beginning of a fresh chapter.
As Daniel and Caroline gradually enter the final stages of their careers, Solomon is just beginning his own journey.
The pressure is already on, but he is following in the footsteps that will be able to impart significant knowledge.
When a family has already produced two world champions, expectations arise long before title fights or professional contracts emerge.
That’s what makes Solomon’s situation so fascinating, because the noise around him isn’t the result of random social media hype designed to produce the next substantial thing.
This belief clearly exists within the family itself.
Stanley has long suggested that Solomon may naturally possess an agility and raw ability that simply cannot be taught.
The pressure comes early
At the same time, there is an obvious danger in placing too much expectation on someone so newborn.
The history of boxing is full of prospects who faced pressure before they were physically and mentally ready to handle it.
For now, Solomon remains a student learning his craft with one of the most recognizable names in British boxing.
A professional move and a likely collaboration with Frank Warren will almost certainly come later if he continues to make progress.
However, at the moment it’s simply a matter of keeping his feet on the ground as the attention around him continues to grow.
Because if the Dubois family’s beliefs prove correct, British boxing may finally discover that the most talented Dubois was the youngest all along.
About the Author
Phil Jay is the editor-in-chief of World Boxing News (WBN) and a boxing veteran with over 15 years of experience. Read the full biography.
Boxing
Keyshawn Davis vs. Nahir Albright 2 Saturday night, live on DAZN
Published
4 hours agoon
May 15, 2026
In October 2023, rising contender Keyshawn Davis entered the ring for an intense fight against Nahir Albright. In the first round of the fight, Albright used his feints and changed levels with his jab.
In the first round, Davis managed to land a well-timed right hand. Over the next few rounds, Keyshawn Davis established range and as a result, started landing his combinations.
Halfway through the 10-round fight, Davis was in complete control, consistently launching counterattacks. During the final three rounds of the fight, Albright found success in punching with his right hand.
Albright was competitive but didn’t seem to be doing enough to win rounds. At the conclusion of the 10-round contest, Davis was declared the winner by majority decision.
Two weeks later, Keyshawn Davis was confirmed to have tested positive for marijuana. Davis received a 90-day suspension and his majority victory over Nahir Albright was changed to a no-contest.
Following his match with Keyshawn Davis, Nahir Albright’s boxing career came to an end after a 19-month hiatus. In June 2025, Nahir Albright stepped back into the squared circle to face Keyshawn’s older brother, Kelvin Davis.
Albright was very aggressive as he hurt Davis in the second and fourth rounds. Albright set the pace of the fight and won a convincing victory.
After the fight ended, Keyshawn and his younger brother Keon jumped Albright backstage. According to Albright, the Davis brothers entered his locker room and Keyshawn headbutted him, leaving a lump on his right eye.
Following the incident, police escorted Keyshawn Davis from the arena. Davis was initially scheduled to headline the event, but he weighed 4.3 pounds over the legal weight limit and was stripped of his WBO world title.
After this embarrassing incident, Keyshawn Davis redeemed himself in January 2026 when he dominated Jamaine Ortiz. Now Davis is ready to take care of unfinished business on Saturday night.
Keyshawn “The Businessman” Davis didn’t look like a pro on Friday afternoon when he weighed in at 140.2 pounds. Davis stripped down to his bare essentials and weighed 140.1 pounds.
After his second failed attempt, Davis was given two hours to reach the 140-pound limit. A tiny time later, Davis returned to the scale and weighed 140 pounds.
Performance wise, Keyshawn Davis is a striking boxer who has poise, timing, a solid jab and a high ring IQ, is an elite counter puncher, has excellent punch placement and is deadly when landing body shots.
His opponent, Nahir Albright, has a quick jab, is elusive, has good footwork, uses head movement regularly, is tough and used to throwing a series of punches.
The grudge match will be held on Saturday evening, May 16, at the Scope Arena. Norfolk native Keyshawn Davis wants to make a statement to his hometown fans, but his opponent, Nahir Albright, plans to play the role of spoiler.
Sports and entertainment writer. She was born and raised in Up-to-date Orleans. He attended college at PURDUE UNIVERSITY
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