Xander Zayas has a mission to perform in 2025: changing into a junior middleweight world champion.
The 22-year-old Puerto Rican is billed to begin the 12 months on February 14 towards Slawa Spomer on the undercard of Denys Berinchyk-Keyshawn Davis light-weight championship bout at Madison Sq. Backyard in New York.
Zayas appears to be like ahead to proving his price at 154.
“I do not know [Spomer] very nicely, that means I’ve by no means seen him in particular person. However I’ve seen a pair movies of him and, like I stated, he is robust and sturdy,” Zayas instructed BoxingScene. “He can take a punch, or not less than from the blokes he is been combating, he can take a punch. I really feel like he’ll come prepared. He would not know the right way to lose.
“He is 20-0, so I really feel like he’ll attempt to compete until he will get within the ring and understands that there is a degree to this. He is fighter. I am higher than him and I’ll present it come February 14.”
Zayas, additionally 20-0 and with 12 knockouts to Spoma’s 11, stated he’s been strategizing on the right way to benefit from the weaknesses of Spoma. The Florida-based Puerto Rican revealed that his camp has been getting ready him on pace, energy, mixture, counterattacks, and protection with the intention to cope with his robust German opponent.
Zayas is coming off a formidable resolution win over Damian Sosa final September. That win over Sosa was his second distance victory in 2024 after a win over Patrick Teixeira three months prior.
“Final time round, I had a tricky man in entrance of me and I showcased a variety of my protection and a variety of my skills contained in the ring on how a lot I’ve grown and the way a lot I’ve gotten higher. And I really feel like this battle [against Spomer] will not be an exception.
“Clearly, I’ve acquired to concentrate on February 14, care for the job at hand, placed on a spectacular present, simply one thing out of this world. After which possibly begin speaking about world championship degree sorts of fights.”
Ought to Zayas get a shot at a world title, it could possibly be towards WBC and WBO champ Sebastian Fundora, who’s scheduled to defend his titles towards Chordale Booker on March 22.
Nonetheless, Zayas should look forward to the end result of Fundora-Booker to face the winner. Zayas stated he can be prepared for whoever comes out victorious.
“I really feel like Sebastian Fundora doesn’t have concrete but. Possibly we are able to do one thing for the summer season if it is nonetheless out there. I am No. 1 within the WBO and No. 3 within the WBC. So, I really feel prefer it’s a battle that after I care for enterprise on February 14, it is sensible.
“I have been saying it. I’ll proceed to say that I am prepared for the top-level guys. I am prepared for what they name the elite degree guys as a result of I do know I am an elite degree fighter. So now it is time to present it. Now it is time to put all of it into perspective and showcase to the world why I belong on the prime of the division.”
Bernard Neequaye is a sports activities journalist with a specialty in boxing protection. He wrote a boxing column titled “From The Ringside” in his native Ghana for years. He will be reached on X (previously Twitter) at @BernardNeequaye, LinkedIn at Bernard Neequaye and thru e-mail at bernardneequaye@gmail.com.
