Xander Zayas
Born (2002-09-05) September 5, 2002
San Juan, Puerto Rico
Statistics
Weight(s)
Height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)
Reach74 in (188 cm)
StanceOrthodox
Boxing record[1]
Total fights18
Wins18
Wins by KO12
Losses0

Xander Yarob Zayas Castro (born September 5, 2002) is a Puerto Rican professional boxer. In an amateur career that spanned from 2007 to 2018 he had more than 130 bouts,[2] winning eleven national championship tournaments[3] including the 2018 U.S. Youth National Championships.[4]

Amateur career

Zayas' involvement with boxing began while living in the Cantera neighborhood of San Juan, Puerto Rico in 2007, when his mother took him to a gym so he could learn to defend himself from bullies.[5] After winning his first amateur fight at the age of six, his career took off, winning 20 consecutive bouts. Zayas dominated the youth circuit for years, gathering the Puerto Rican national title in his division on five occasions. It was after winning his third title at age ten that he decided this would be his profession.[6] As a child, Zayas grew up admiring fellow Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto as he completed a Hall of Fame-career, with the former world champion's fights being the focus of family reunions.[7] He also "used to watch videos of Tito Trinidad, Hector Macho Camacho, Wilfredo Benitez, all those great fighters that made Puerto Rico really proud and happy".[8]

At the age of eleven, he moved to Sunrise, Florida along his mother, sister and stepfather. Zayas enrolled in Sweatbox Boxing & Fitness at Davie. After his first trainer died, Zayas began training under Javiel Centeno, promising he would become his first world champion and demonstrating skills beyond his age.[9] He credits the Nuyorican trainer with "perfecting [his] style with more technical stuff. It was very composed. He sat down and worked on every punch, every combination, every footwork, the head movement. We broke everything down and put it back together like a lego". When queried about the transition, Zayas said "[as] boxing styles, it was difficult at first because the style in Puerto Rico and the style here is very different, I had to adjust to the boxing in the United States. With time I did adjust".[6] In his words, Zayas participated in USA Boxing competitions from this point onwards due to residence.[10] Despite this, he intended to fight in Puerto Rico as a professional as soon as he met the minimum age requirement of 18 years (he was ultimately allowed to fulfill this “dream” a year before meeting this requisite).[10][11] Zayas went on to win gold medal at the 2017 and 2018 U.S. National Championships.[12]

Inactivity and adjustment

On December 17, 2018, Zayas met with advisor Peter Kahn along his immediate family, having decided to turn professional.[7] A new age requirement of 19 prevented him from pursuing a berth in the 2020 Summer Olympics and the insecurity of boxing's inclusion in 2024 (due to long standing issues regarding the governance of AIBA, which led to a suspension by the IOC) played a role.[13] Kahn had known of the boxer since he was thirteen, through Centeno, and had brought the topic to Bob Arum and Brad Jacobs the month before.[7][14] By January, several "high-powered promoters" had made offers, but it wasn't until February that Top Rank agreed to the terms that they were requesting, having completed a market study.[7] He became the youngest boxer to sign a contract with the promotional house in the 53 years that had passed since its foundation.[7] Inquired about the signing, Arum first emphasized his maturity, intelligence and overall talent, but also expressed his belief that Zayas could be the "first [great] Hispanic heavyweight champion of the world" due to having open growth plates and fairly tall relatives.[15] Despite considering him a "quality young man" and having a feeling that mirrored his assessment of Oscar De La Hoya coming out of the 1992 Summer Olympics about the possibility of becoming "a big superstar", the promoter urged caution since he was a "work in progress" and the company had never handled someone that young.[15]

After making the decision to turn professional, he spent several months of inactivity and instead became involved in the training camps of other boxers, such as Ivan Baranchyk, Daniyar Yeluessinov, Ryan Martin, George Kambosos and Amir Imam.[6] Meanwhile, the media used epithets that included "prodigy", "próxima gran cosa" (Spanish for "next big thing") and "niño dorado" ("golden boy") to describe Zayas and speculated he could become "The Next Great Puerto Rican Boxing Superstar."[16][17][14] Todd duBoef, who was convinced the boxer was not too young to perform after discussing the topic with David McWater, created a merchandising strategy around this perception and modeled it after the one used for Cotto, which included him using Héctor Lavoe's Aguanile (as sung by Marc Anthony) and carrying the flag of Puerto Rico.[14] Zayas embraced the idea, noting that he felt "ready to be that next superstar and to be someone they look up to. I want to make my people in Puerto Rico feel proud to be Puerto Rican and proud to have me as a superstar for them."[18]

Professional career

Under the Top Rank banner, Zayas made his professional debut against previously undefeated (1-0) Genesis Wynn on October 26, 2019, at the Reno-Sparks Convention Center in Reno, Nevada, winning via first round knockout (KO).[19] He recorded two knockdowns prior to the stoppage.[20] A month later, Zayas made his second appearance on November 30 with repeat performance of his debut, this time against Virgel Windfield.[21] Like his previous match, he scored two knockdowns.[22] Zayas’ first decision win was over Corey Champion, put boxing his opponent throughout four rounds for the unanimous nod.[23]

On February 28, 2020, Zayas had his first fight as a professional in Puerto Rico, scoring a third-round technical knockout over Marklin Bailey.[24] Following a lengthy hiatus caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, he returned to action by defeating Orlando Salgado in the first round on September 4, 2020. The following month, Zayas scored a first-round technical knockout over Anthony Curtiss. Zayas opened the 2021 season by earning a unanimous decision over James Martin in February, going on to score consecutive technical knockouts over DeMarcus Layton and Larry Fryers to close the first half.[25][26][27] He concluded 2021 with six fights, outscoring José Luis Sánchez in September before scoring consecutive technical knockouts over Dan Karpency and Alessio Mastronunzio.

Zayas opened 2022, a year where his stated goal is to enter the world ranks, by going the distance to eight rounds for the first time against Quincy Lavallais.[28] He was scheduled to fight for a regional title in the co-main event of a Top Rank card on the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade, but withdrew due to a viral infection.[29] On August 13, 2022, Zayas defeated Elías Espadas by technical knockout in five rounds to win the NABO super welterweight championship.[30]

Personal life

Zayas lives with his mother, stepfather and sister in Plantation, Florida.[31][32] He did not know any English before moving there[6] but it took him only four months to learn, his family translating in social settings.[6] Zayas was only a high school junior when he joined Top Rank, thus he began home schooling to graduate from Plantation High while training for his debut.[6] His mother had set this as a requisite to sign as a professional.[33] The prospect of continuing studies in criminal law was stated in an interview.[14] Outside the ring, Zayas is a gaming enthusiast.[17]

Professional boxing record

17 fights 17 wins 0 losses
By knockout 11 0
By decision 6 0
No. Result Record Opponent Type Round, time Date Location Notes
17 Win 17–0 Roberto Valenzuela Jr. TKO 5 Sep 15, 2023 American Bank Center, Corpus Christi, Texas, U.S. Retained WBO–NABO super welterweight title, WBC–NABF super welterweight title
16 Win 16–0 Ronald Cruz UD 8 Jun 10, 2023 Madison Square Garden Theater, New York City, New York, U.S. Retained WBO–NABO super welterweight title; Won vacant WBC–NABF super welterweight title
15 Win 15–0 Alexis Salazar UD 8 Dec 10, 2022 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. Retained WBO–NABO super welterweight title
14 Win 14–0 Elias Espadas TKO 5 (8), 0:23 Aug 13, 2022 Resorts World Las Vegas, Winchester, Nevada, U.S. Won vacant WBO–NABO super welterweight title
13 Win 13–0 Quincy Lavallais UD 8 Mar 19, 2022 Madison Square Garden Theater, New York City, New York, U.S.
12 Win 12–0 Alessio Mastronunzio TKO 1 (6), 2:52 Dec 11, 2021 Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S.
11 Win 11–0 Dan Karpency RTD 4 (6), 3:00 Oct 23, 2021 State Farm Arena, Atlanta, Georgia, U.S.
10 Win 10–0 Jose Luis Sanchez UD 6 Sep 10, 2021 Casino Del Sol, Tucson, Arizona, U.S.
9 Win 9–0 Larry Fryers TKO 3 (6) 0:58 Jun 12, 2021 Virgin Hotels Las Vegas, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
8 Win 8–0 DeMarcus Layton TKO 1 (6) 0:56 Apr 24, 2021 Silver Spurs Arena, Kissimmee, Florida, U.S.
7 Win 7–0 James Martin UD 6 Feb 20, 2021 MGM Grand Conference Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
6 Win 6–0 Anthony Curtiss TKO 1 (4), 0:55 Oct 16, 2020 Osceola Heritage Park, Kissimmee, Florida, U.S.
5 Win 5–0 Orlando Salgado TKO 1 (4) 2:06 Sep 4, 2020 Osceola Heritage Park, Kissimmee, Florida, U.S.
4 Win 4–0 Marklin Bailey TKO 3 (4), 1:14 Feb 28, 2020 Rubén Zayas Montañez Coliseum, Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico
3 Win 3–0 Corey Champion UD 4 Jan 11, 2020 Hard Rock Live, Atlantic City, New Jersey, U.S.
2 Win 2–0 Virgel Windfield TKO 1 (4), 1:48 Nov 30, 2019 Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas, Paradise, Nevada, U.S.
1 Win 1–0 Genesis Wynn KO 1 (4), 1:24 Oct 26, 2019 Reno-Sparks Convention Center, Reno, Nevada, U.S.

References

  1. ↑ "Boxing record for Xander Zayas". BoxRec.
  2. ↑ Stumberg, Patrick L. (2019-10-30). "Jared Anderson, Xander Zayas join Valdez-Gutierrez undercard". Bad Left Hook. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  3. ↑ "Xander Zayas, High School Senior, Wins Pro Debut—KO in One". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved 2019-11-13.
  4. ↑ "Xander Zayas". Teamusa. Archived from the original on November 30, 2018. Retrieved 2019-11-05.
  5. ↑ "Who is 16-year-old boxing phenom Xander Zayas? | Sporting News". www.sportingnews.com.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "As one of this boxer's dreams is dashed, he goes on to fulfill this other dream". miamiherald.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "How Top Rank signed Xander Zayas, their youngest prospect ever". ESPN. October 22, 2019.
  8. ↑ "Xander Zayas: From high school to pro boxing stardom". fansided.com.
  9. ↑ "Top Rank sign youngest ever fighter in teenager Xander Zayas". March 15, 2019.
  10. 1 2 "Xander Zayas: Tomé una buena decisión". Primera Hora. March 15, 2019.
  11. ↑ "Xander Zayas To Make Puerto Rico Debut on February 28". BoxingScene.com. 2020-01-31. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  12. ↑ "Quick Chat With Xander Zayas". TeamUSA.org. February 16, 2018. Archived from the original on March 10, 2018.
  13. ↑ "17-year-old boxing prodigy has what it takes to be the next Canelo or Floyd".
  14. 1 2 3 4 "Cómo Top Rank firmó a Xander Zayas, el prospecto más joven en su historia". ESPNdeportes.com. October 22, 2019.
  15. 1 2 "Bob Arum: 'Xander Zayas puede ser el primer gran campeón hispano de peso completo'—ESPN Video". ESPN.mx. March 22, 2019.
  16. ↑ "Xander Zayas, el "niño" dorado que pone el nombre de Puerto Rico en grande". www.telemundodeportes.com.
  17. 1 2 Mazique, Brian. "Top Rank May Have Just Signed The Next Great Puerto Rican Boxing Superstar". Forbes.
  18. ↑ "Xander Zayas, Youngest To Ink With Top Rank, Talks Pro Debut". BoxingScene.com.
  19. ↑ "Xander Zayas, High School Senior, Wins Pro Debut—KO in One". BoxingScene.com.
  20. ↑ "Xander Zayas, age 17, scores first round KO in pro debut". October 26, 2019.
  21. ↑ "Xander Zayas vuelve a ganar por nocaut en el primer asalto". Primera Hora. November 30, 2019.
  22. ↑ "Xander Zayas gana su segunda pelea como profesional". El Nuevo Dia. December 1, 2019.
  23. ↑ "Xander Zayas vs. Corey Champion Fight Night". Round by Round Boxing. 2020-01-11. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  24. ↑ Jorge Figueroa Loza (2020-02-28). "Xander Zayas debuta con éxito en Puerto Rico" (in Spanish). El Nuevo Día. Retrieved 2020-09-03.
  25. ↑ "Xander Zayas Outboxes James Martin for Unanimous Decision Win".
  26. ↑ "Xander Zayas Drops, Stops Demarcus Layton in 1st Round".
  27. ↑ "Shakur Stevenson wins interim title; Jose Pedraza and Xander Zayas shine in TKO victories". 12 June 2021.
  28. ↑ "Xander Zayas I'd Love To Finish 2022 in Top 15 at Junior Middleweight". BoxingScene.com. 2022-03-16. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
  29. ↑ "XANDER ZAYAS WITHDRAWS FROM PUERTO RICAN DAY CARD AT MSG DUE TO VIRAL INFECTION". The Ring. 2022-06-01. Retrieved 2022-07-06.
  30. ↑ "Xander Zayas noquea en su regreso al ring y gana el título NABO de las 154 libras OMB" (in Spanish). El Nuevo Día. 2022-08-13. Retrieved 2022-08-13.
  31. ↑ "Zayas, 16, signs contract with Top Rank". ESPN. March 14, 2019.
  32. ↑ "Xander Zayas continúa con paso firme en el profesionalismo". ESPNdeportes.com (in Spanish). December 14, 2019.
  33. ↑ "Debuta el boricua Xander Zayas como profesional con 17 años". El Nuevo Dia (in Spanish). October 26, 2019.
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