Listening to Xander Zayas, it’s no wonder he has twice as many professional fights and half the pressure on his shoulders. At 21 years old, his maturity belies his inexperience, and his blissful ignorance allows him to ignore what might happen if he predictably lives up to everyone’s expectations. Miguel Cotto.”
In fact, with all of Puerto Rico behind him, plus the industry power of Top Rank, it’s safe to say that Zayas has everything to really get things going as a professional. But also with this power comes great responsibility, not to mention the brightest spotlight right now.
“No matter what you do in life, pressure is always going to be with you,” Zayas told Boxing News on Thursday, April 18. “In this case, as a young boxer, I feel like I’m always going to be under pressure. I have a whole country following me, so there’s always going to be pressure. I just have to stay focused and listen to what my team and my family think. You have to listen and enjoy your work: every interview, every training, every match.
“To be honest, I don’t feel any pressure. I feel like we’re going in the right direction, in the right direction. The whole team knows the goal and knows what we want. We’re getting closer and closer. Next up is Patrick Teixeira, the first former champion. I’m not thinking about what’s next or what’s next. Just be yourself. I want to be happy with what I do, have fun and make both my family and team feel proud. I hope I can make all the people who respect me and like me as a professional fighter proud as well. ”
His next fight, scheduled for June 8th, will indeed be against former WBO interim super welterweight champion Teixeira. He has won his last three matches despite dropping his level in recent years. That in itself means it’s a big enough challenge for Zayas in his 19th professional fight, but add to this the fact that his fight with Teixeira is a 10-round headliner. In other words, Zayas has been pushed further to the front of the stage.
“In some ways, it feels different (than previous games),” said Zayas, 18-0 (12). “You always dream of your first main event. There are three big important things in the life of a professional boxer. Your professional debut. Your first main event. And when you hear, “And the new…” I feel like it’s a moment I’ll never forget. But in other words, I’m just trying to see this as just another battle and stay as focused as possible. Another victory. Another city. There is another opponent in front of me. We just go out and put on a show like we always do. ”
Zayas dominates Roberto Valenzuela Jr. at American Bank Center in Corpus Christi, Texas on September 15, 2023 (Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
So far, and this speaks to the hype around him, Zayas has been impeccable as a professional. Having won all 18 of his professional fights, he has never dropped a single round, much less been tempted by the prospect of defeat. Teixeira has had good chemistry from the beginning and has defeated Jorge Fortea (5 KOs), Roberto Valenzuela Jr. (5 TKOs), and Ronald Cruz (8 UDs) in recent bouts, but Teixeira has 34 wins and 4 losses (25 losses). knows that will bring him another victory. Another type of test will take place in June. It’s tough. It’s serious.
“This is certainly a step up,” Zayas said. “On paper, he’s a former world champion and has beaten some great people. When he fought Carlos Adames (to win the WBO title in 2019), I lost my second time as a pro. I remember when we were fighting together at the Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas. We even took pictures together.
“I feel like I made the right move at the right time. This is my 19th fight and he is ranked No. 7 by the WBO. It’s the perfect fight for me.”
Of course, it’s possible that Zayas, like any young boxer, is seduced by his own hype and somehow takes his eye off the ball or focuses more on next year’s plans than what’s at hand. There is enough. But Zayas recognizes the potential and is trying to avoid falling into the same hole that other highly touted prospects didn’t expect. Maybe that’s why he’s able to stay so calm, why he respects his opponents enough to be interested in them and what they can do. Both in a general sense and for him.
“Sometimes I study, but sometimes I have my coach and my dad break up my game plan,” he explained. “But if I’m bored at home, I’ll think, ‘Okay, I’ll watch some of Patrick’s videos and see what I can find.’ Then I’ll talk to my coach about it. But overall, usually , my coach and my dad would write the game plan and figure out what we need to do against each opponent.”
As always, when it comes to what Zayas discovers during his research, there’s as much to be confident about as there is to be scared of.
“Well, he throws a lot (of punches),” he said of Teixeira. “He throws a lot of combinations and looping shots. He has very long arms and is obviously a tall fighter. The only other thing that bothers me is against left-handers. He doesn’t get hit in the head or gets gashes on his face. I don’t want to leave. But if I’m worried about that, I think I’m in the wrong sport.
“But ultimately, my hands will be faster, I’ll have more power, I’ll be more aggressive, I’ll have a better IQ. I feel like my time starts on June 8th, and I’m going to show it.
“It was a perfect match for me. I don’t think it will go past 6 o’clock. Even if it wasn’t a perfect match, I’m going to win by unanimous decision.”
For boxers, perfection is the eternal goal when preparing for a fight, especially at this level. However, in the case of Xander Zayas, his recognition of the difficulty of achieving perfection is still well reflected in both his maturity and overall understanding. In other words, he definitely seeks perfection, but is also intelligent enough to realize that the most important thing at this stage, and indeed at any stage in a boxer’s career, is simply winning. Thing.
