Xander Zayas

[Master]

Meet Xander Zayas, the Puerto Rican star hoping to follow in the footsteps of Miguel Cotto.

Like many other Puerto Ricans, Xander Zayas grew up idolising Miguel Cotto.

Now the highly-touted super-welterweight prospect, 19, is making a big impression on Bob Arum having signed his first professional contract with Top Rank in 2019, and hopes to emulate his old mentor ‘Junito’.

Zayas’ all-action fighting style, the result of his time spent sparring former unified lightweight world champion George Kambosos Jr, is reminiscent of Puerto Rican legend Cotto.

And the youngster revealed he spent most of his childhood watching old video tapes of Cotto’s fights against the likes of Zab Judah, Antonio Margarito and Manny Pacquiao.

“I was born in 2002, and I always like to look back at some of the legendary fights, but the one that really stood out the most for me was Miguel Cotto,” Zayas exclusively told GiveMeSport.com.

“He is my favourite boxer of all time, a Puerto Rican boxer that inside the ring and outside the ring is a gentleman you know, is a great guy.

“I know him personally and he is somebody that has inspired me since I first started boxing.

“Cotto was the guy in Puerto Rico at the time who was bringing all the glory back to us.

“So you know for me growing up, he was the guy I looked up to.

“I used to watch him fight Zab Judah, obviously his fight with Manny Pacquiao, when he fought Antonio Margarito twice. I always rewatch his fights when I get the chance.

“If I can have half the career he had, then I’ll be happy.”

‘I WAS A VICTIM OF BULLYING’

Zayas’ mother first took him to a boxing gym when he was just five years old.

And he added: “I was a victim of bullying so she took me there so I could learn how to defend myself.

“The first time I walked in there, I saw these guys throwing punches at the bag, so I was a bit scared at the beginning.

“But the first day I learned how to throw a jab, learned how to stand in the right position, and I just fell in love with it.

“The next day I was calling my mum saying ‘when are we going back to the gym?’

“So I guess it all worked out in the end.”

‘I WANT TO BE REMEMBERED AS ONE OF THE BEST TO EVER DO IT’

A veteran of 13 fights, it’s remarkable to think Zayas is still only 19.

But he insists he is nowhere near where he wants to be quite just yet.

Zayas continued: “I want to be remembered as one of the best to ever do it. I want to be remembered as somebody that brought inspiration to his generation.

“Somebody that helped people. Somebody that inside the ring fought the best no matter what happened.

“And somebody outside the ring that was a great person, a good person, somebody who is hard to forget about.

“I want to keep showing the world that I’m one of the best to ever do it. I have no doubt I will be the best in my division.

“And one day, you know, they will understand.”

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...1b4d6fee0a9462

[TitoFan]

I saw Xander fight in person in his 4th professional fight, and he looked really good. I've also seen him interviewed and he's a great kid, with a good head on his shoulders. Hoping he'll go far. Boxing in P.R. is pretty much at a low point in recent years... and the only prospective champions I put any stock in recently are Xander and Subriel Matias. Hopefully both will become world champions at some point.

[Master]

Xander Zayas is unbeaten in 15 professional fights and only 20 years old, but by the time he finishes his career he wants a place in boxing history.

Puerto Rico's Zayas next fights on the undercard of Josh Taylor vs Teofimo Lopez, live on Sky Sports Main Event and Action at 1am on Sunday morning (June 11).

It will be a special moment for him at Madison Square Garden in New York during the Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend.

"The love and support we get from our fanbase gives us a lot of motivation and just willpower to go there and put on a show for them," Zayas told Sky Sports.

"In Puerto Rico they teach us from the beginning when it's time to go out to war, you go out to war like a warrior and when it's time to box and outclass somebody, you just go out and look smart, look better than them and don't let them touch you.

"I feel like I will be able to showcase why I'm one of the best boxers coming up, why I'm going to be one of the best boxers at 154lbs and in boxing in general in the future."

With the second annual Miguel Cotto Award on offer to the winner of Zayas' fight with Ronald Cruz, the young fighter has an added incentive.

"To be fighting for this award just makes it a little bit more special. And I'm excited to win, get those titles back home and get the new trophy," he said.

Cotto is his all-time favourite fighter. "I look up to him inside and outside of the ring," Zayas said.

"The way that he carries himself inside and outside the ring, he's a gentleman at the end of the day. And the way that he can adjust to any fighter at any given time, any round, he's able to make those adjustments.

"Even when he lost he was able to give out classic fights, he was able to give out a war."

Zayas wants to eventually follow in Cotto's footsteps.

"You want to take those steps but in your own direction, in a way that you can also create your own legacy, your own story. I want to be able to bring glory to Puerto Rico. I want to be able to bring that excitement back when Miguel Cotto fought, when 'Tito' Trinidad fought, that people get together to watch them fight," he said.

Zayas became Top Rank's youngest signing when he joined the promotional giant when he was only 16, in a sign of faith that he can do something special in the sport.

"I want to leave a legacy that when people talk about Xander Zayas in a hundred years, they talk about a great fighter, somebody that they admire," he said.

"I want to leave a legacy outside the ring."

Still in the early stages of his career, he plans on fighting for world honours next year.

"I'm going to showcase to my Puerto Rican fans that sooner rather than later they will have a world champion on their hands," Zayas said.

"My time is around the corner, I haven't even hit my prime yet.

"When I do hit my prime, it's going to be scary."

'Whoever has fun will win'
Zayas believes the Josh Taylor vs Teofimo Lopez main event is too close to call.

"It's going to be a close fight. It depends on what type of Josh Taylor shows up, it depends on what type of Teofimo shows up. I feel like it's a 50-50 fight. It could go either way," he said.

"If Teofimo comes out very aggressive, I do see Josh Taylor outboxing him. So, I feel like it's going to be a chess match and I feel like the smartest guy is going to win in there. The guy that can adjust better and the guy that can listen and stick to their gameplan.

But he added: "Whoever has fun [will win]. It's very hard to stay composed, stay within your game plan but at the same time have fun.

"But that happens when you start getting a rhythm, when you start seeing that your game plan is working, when you start seeing the openings are there. That's when you start having fun because now everything becomes fluid.

"Whoever gets to that point first in the fight is going to have the advantage on the other guy."

https://www.msn.com/en-gb/sport/boxi...114ea4de&ei=27

[TIC]

if slawa spomer wins he's probably next up for xander

[smartpersona]

Xander Zayas is aiming high! He's already been climbing the ranks and looks up to the legendary Miguel Cotto. He's a star on the rise and we can't wait to see what he does next - can't wait to watch him light up the ring!

[Denilson3.0]

There always seems to be this search for the next great boricua

I can remember a couple of years bk. Everyone was saying another P.Rican fighter (Felix Verdejo) was gonna be the next big thing

That didn't work out too well. So now it's this Xander Zayas turn

He's only 19. If it was up to me he'd be going to Paris 2024 then turn pro.

But right of now ? He needs to rack up more wins. 154 is one of the most stacked divisions at the time. At his age don't be putting him in there with Gausha, Lubin, Jesus Ramos, Fundora or Liam Smith. To me he looks good but I dont get the same "WOW" feeling I get when seem him fighting as I do when I look at a Boots Ennis or Vergil Ortiz fighting. But he's got time on his hands