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Xander Zayas will not be the primary Puerto Rican boxer to really feel proper at dwelling in New York, however on Saturday, he set himself aside from all who got here earlier than, changing into the youngest present world champion by capturing the vacant WBO junior middleweight title with a slick, dominant resolution win over Jorge Garcia Perez on the Theater at Madison Sq. Backyard.
Combating on the Backyard — the theater or large area — for the eighth time in his profession, Zayas (22-0, 13 or 14 KOs) was in management from the opening bell, utilizing elusive footwork and counterpunching to quell the awkward however highly effective offense of Garcia Perez. As Zayas picked up on his opponent’s timing, he maintained distance — even when Garcia Lopez, standing in a nook after absorbing a mix, tried to wave Zayas in. When the awkward Garcia Lopez did handle to shut the gap, Zayas tied him up.
Ultimately, all three judges noticed the struggle Zayas’ manner (116-112, 118-110, 119-109), handing Garcia Perez (33-4, 26 KOs), a 28-year-old from Mexico, noticed an eight-fight successful streak come to an finish.
Within the last 30 seconds of Spherical 6, Zayas punctuated an trade with a proper hand that despatched Garcia Lopez stumbling backward into the ropes. However the Mexican fighter righted himself and stored coming. And Zayas continued to select him aside.
Simply when Garcia Lopez gave the impression to be fading, he had a powerful eighth spherical, throwing straighter punches in mixtures. However within the ninth, Zayas returned to the function of matador, avoiding injury from the stumbling Garcia Lopez and touchdown his personal mixtures. He was in management the remainder of the way in which, touchdown at a excessive share and making Garcia Lopez miss.
In keeping with CompuBox, Zayas landed 50 extra jabs and 19 extra energy punches than Garcia Lopez regardless of throwing 81 fewer punches. Garcia related on 22% of his complete punches and 24% of his energy punches, whereas Zayas related on 38% of his complete punches and 45% of his energy punches. Zayas additionally held a 59-31 edge in physique photographs landed.
When Zayas was requested what the victory meant to him, he started, “Man, since I used to be 5 years previous … ” after which he switched to Spanish for an prolonged reply, to honor the Puerto Rican followers in attendance.
When Zayas lastly switched again to English, he mentioned, “It is superb. It is superb to symbolize Puerto Rico on the highest degree and to only put the pleasure of my island the place it belongs — on the prime.”
Zayas joins a lineage of fighters with Puerto Rican heritage who’ve received the junior middleweight world championship, together with Worldwide Boxing Corridor of Fame inductees Wilfred Benitez, Felix Trinidad and Miguel Cotto.
Zayas, who’s No. 8 within the ESPN junior middleweight rankings, is 22 years, 324 days previous. The subsequent-youngest champ is welterweight Brian Norman Jr. at 24 years, 245 days.
Zayas joins a brief checklist of fighters who’ve received the junior middleweight championship at 22 or youthful. Amongst them is Fernando Vargas, who received the IBF title in 1998 at age 21. Vargas’ 21-year-old son Emilianio fought spectacularly on Saturday’s undercard, transferring to 15-0 with a 42-second knockout of junior welterweight Alexander Espinosa. It was the 21-year-old’s sixth straight knockout, the thirteenth of his profession.
That struggle was proper earlier than the co-main occasion, during which Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington received the vacant WBC interim featherweight title with a one-sided resolution win over Mateus Heita.
Carrington (16-0, 9 or 10 KOs), who’s 28 and from Brooklyn, was a -5000 favourite and it confirmed. After a comparatively aggressive back-and-forth for the primary three rounds, Carrington picked up the timing of Heita’s jabs and started connecting to the physique and head with frequent proper hand counters.
Heita took a number of stable punches to the top within the center rounds and was not even wobbled. However his exercise degree diminished, and Carrington ramped up his assault, whereas eluding many of the large punches Heita threw his manner. Carrington stored throwing slick mixtures till the ultimate bell, and the judges rewarded him with a unanimous resolution, with certainly one of them scoring each spherical his manner (120-108, 119-109, 119-109).
The loss was the primary of Heita’s profession, dropping the 27-year-old from Namibia to 14-1 in his first struggle outdoors Africa. Carrington is No. 6 in ESPN’s featherweight rankings.
After receiving his interim belt, Carrington turned his give attention to WBO champion Rafael Espinosa, who was at ringside. “I see you within the crowd,” he mentioned, pointing. “I need you, bro. You already know. My staff has referred to as your staff. I wish to struggle.”
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