Who Is Xander Zayas, The Prodigy Tipped To Be Puerto Rico’s Next Superstar?
When ESPN published its list of the top 25 boxers under 25, it placed Xander Zayas in fourth. Only pound-for-pound star Jesse ‘Bam’ Rodriguez, heavyweight contender Jared Anderson, and lightweight prospect Keyshawn Davis were ranked above the 21-year-old Puerto Rican.
Zayas (19-0-0 12 KO) will contest his second fight of 2024 next month when he takes on Damian Sosa (25-2-0 12 KO) at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York on September 27.
Currently operating in a stacked super-welterweight division, which is gaining a lot more attention following the arrival of pound-for-pound superstar Terence Crawford, Zayas is already ranked among the top contenders despite his youthful age.
So, ahead of his next fight in a few weeks’ time, here is everything you need to know about Xander Zayas.
Zayas Was An Amateur Prodigy
Zayas was first introduced to the sport at a young age when his mother took him to a local gym in San Juan, Puerto Rico so he could learn to defend himself against bullies. It was quickly clear that he had natural talent and competed in his first amateur bout at six years old.
He went on to dominate Puerto Rico’s youth scene, winning five national titles by the age of 11. It was at this young age that Zayas, who knew early he wanted to become a professional boxer, moved to Florida with his family.
After enrolling in the Sweatbox Boxing & Fitness gym, the young Zayas began training by Javiel Centeno, whom he credits with shaping the skills and style that would form the foundations for the rest of his boxing journey. Centano was mentored by the great Angelo Dundee.
Now based in the United States, Zayas competed in U.S. tournaments and went on to win gold medals at the 2017 and 2018 U.S. National Championships. In total, he won 11 national championships.
Zayas Turned Pro As A High-Schooler
Denied the chance to compete at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics due to the minimal age requirement of 19 and with widespread concern about boxing’s prospects of being included in the Paris 2024 Games, Zayas decided to turn professional when he was 17.
Respected boxing manager Peter Kahn, who had been aware of Zayas when he was 13, took a central role in the young fighter’s career when he turned pro and the Puerto Rican signed to Top Rank at 18 – the promotional giant’s youngest ever signing.
Zayas made his pro debut in October 2019 as a high school senior, stopping opponent Genesis Wynn in the first round of their welterweight bout in Reno. Three fights later, he fulfilled his childhood ambition of fighting in Puerto Rico and claimed another knockout win.
Zayas won his first title in his 14th fight, collecting the WBO’s NABO (North American Boxing Organization) super-welterweight title by stopping Elias Espadas in the fifth round in August 2022. He added the North American Boxing Federation (NABF) title in his next fight three months later, defeating Alexis Salazar Flores on points.
Zayas has made four further successful defenses of his two titles, among them a fifth-round knockout of Roberto Valenzuela Jr, who took reigning IBF world champion Bakhram Murtazaliev the distance, and most recently a shutout points win over former WBO champion Patrick Teixeira.
Zayas will next face Sosa on the undercard of Sandy Ryan’s WBO welterweight title defense against Mikaela Mayer.
Fighting Style
Zayas is already such a well-rounded fighter who possesses speed, power and ring craft that belies his age. Much of his knockout success comes not only from his power but the timing of his punch, which points to his intelligence and poise as a fighter.
Unlike many young fighters still learning on the job, his defense is solid, both in terms of his guard and his footwork to control distance and range, while he has shown throughout his career that he knows how to control the tempo of fights.
His chin is yet to be fully tested but considering the strength of his stance, it suggests he should be able to take a punch from a top contender.
What will be interesting is which weight class Zayas ultimately settles in. There is a sense he will soon outgrow the super-welterweight division. Could he be the fighter to revive a middleweight division steeped in history but lacking in glamour? Time will tell.
How Good Can Zayas Be?
“Xander Zayas is a tremendous young fighter who is mature beyond his years,” Top Rank chairman Bob Arum said when signing a 16-year-old Zayas. “He has everything it takes to one day become an international boxing superstar.”
Kahn has said of his fighter: “Xander is a special fighter. He is wise beyond his years. Xander has all of the tools to be a world champion, and now it’s up to him to go to work and begin his journey as a professional fighter.”
Puerto Rican great and boxing Hall of Famer Ivan Calderon said: “He talks really good, he could be a money boy. And he is real disciplined in this job. So I just want to see, when he gets to that top level and becomes a world champion, is he still going to be the same guy that I’m seeing right now?”
Zayas appears to be single-mindedly focused on becoming a champion, and if he continues on his current path and trajectory, he could become a generational fighter.
