Undefeated junior middleweight contender Xander Zayas is on track to make a splash in a talent-laden 154-pound division.
Zayas (19-0, 12 KOs) is predicted to slug it out with Damian Sosa (25-2, 12 KOs) on Sept. 27 in a High Rank on ESPN occasion at The Madison Sq. Backyard Theater in New York. Although Puerto Rico’s Zayas is aware of a win over Sosa is unlikely to safe an outright title shot, he’s nonetheless eyeing showdowns with the division’s elite.
In an interview with BoxingScene, the 21-year-old Zayas hailed pound-for-pound king and WBA’s 154-pound titlist Terence “Bud” Crawford as the most effective junior middleweight on this planet. Zayas believes Crawford deserves to be celebrated as the most effective 154-pound fighter regardless of having only one battle to his credit score at his new weight.
“I am going to most likely should say, aside from me, Terrence Crawford,” Zayas stated. “Due to the trajectory, the historical past does not turn into historical past if it wasn’t nice. No one remembers the blokes that had been on the bench when Michael Jordan was successful championships.
“All people remembers that the man that was successful the championship was Michael Jordan. It is the identical factor with Terence Crawford. He is been doing it for therefore lengthy. Happening to ‘35, ‘40. Turning into undisputed at ‘40, changing into undisputed at ‘47. Historical past speaks for itself and despite the fact that he is transferring up and he is solely confronted one man, he’s nonetheless the most effective.
“It’s a must to be actually good and decided to beat him (Terence Crawford) and proper now, despite the fact that he has solely confronted one man, you gotta give the props, you gotta give credit score the place credit score’s due.”
Zayas, rated No.3 by WBO, No.6 by WBC, and No.7 by IBF, is raring to become involved with these high-profile fights. In accordance with him, the likes of unified WBC and WBO champion Sebastien Fundora, Bakhram Murtazaliev (IBF titlist), and newly-crowned WBA beltholder Terence Crawford are all choices he may discover sooner or later.
“To be sincere, any of them. Sebastian Fundora, Terence Crawford, relying on what he needs to do. If he needs to maneuver as much as ‘68 and battle one other boxer, there are loads of names within the division. Errol Spence is transferring up.
“I simply stated Tim Tszyu can be transferring, Josh Kelly, I imply, there’s loads of large names that I wish to discover within the division, however I do know my alternative will come.”
Zayas has plans of successful a title at 154, changing into undisputed champ, then transferring as much as middleweight.
“I do have plans on transferring up in weight, however my objective at 154 is to be the king of the division. No one touched me in that division. If potential, win all of the belts. That is been a objective of mine since I used to be little. However, once more, I simply gotta begin with one first. As soon as I get the primary one, then it is time to take over.”
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 could be reached on X (previously Twitter) at @BernardNeequaye, LinkedIn at Bernard Neequaye and thru e-mail at bernardneequaye@gmail.com.
