Zayas uses smooth skills to rout Garcia, wins vacant WBO 154 title
At age 22, becomes youngest active world titlist; Carrington cruises past Heita for WBC interim 126 belt; Vargas scores highlight-reel KO; more
A note to Fight Freaks Unite readers: I created Fight Freaks Unite in January 2021 and eight months later it also became available for paid subscriptions for additional content — and as a way to help keep this newsletter going and for readers to support independent journalism. If you haven’t upgraded to a paid subscription please consider it. If you have already, I truly appreciate it! Also, consider a gift subscription for the Fight Freak in your life.
Since Xander Zayas was 5 years old he dreamed of winning a world title. He accomplished the goal at age 22 on Saturday night at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.
In a disciplined performance, Zayas outboxed rugged Mexican Jorge Garcia in a lopsided unanimous decision victory to claim the vacant WBO junior middleweight title in the main event of the final Top Rank Boxing on ESPN card.
At 22 years, 330 days, Zayas blew past WBO welterweight titlist and Top Rank stablemate Brian Norman Jr., who is 24 years, 245 days, as boxing’s youngest active world titleholder and did so in dominating fashion.
Zayas, the quicker and more accurate puncher, won 119-109, 118-110 and 116-112 and notched his eighth victory either in the Madison Square Garden main arena or the smaller Theater, where he fought for the fourth consecutive time.
Fight Freaks Unite also scored it 118-110 for Zayas, a Puerto Rican living in Sunrise, Florida, who has become a popular attraction in New York’s Puerto Rican community.
“It’s amazing to be here to represent Puerto Rico at the highest level and to put the pride of my island where it belongs — at the top,” said a joyous Zayas, whose satisfaction came not only from winning a world title but by doing so in a Puerto Rico-Mexico rivalry fight.
Zayas’ title triumph culminates all the plans that he and Top Rank had for him when he was 16 and became the youngest fighter to sign with legendary promoter Bob Arum, 93, who beamed with pride from ringside. Zayas made his pro debut at 17, worked his way up the rankings into the WBO mandatory position to face WBO/WBC titlist Sebastian Fundora.