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Xander Zayas becoming a world champion can unlock these star opponents as NYC dream fights in the making
With a healthy faithful following of Puerto Rican fans behind him, Xander Zayas has made The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City his home away from home.
The 22-year-old Puerto Rican sensation will have his fourth straight fight at the venue Saturday night when he clashes with Jorge Garcia for the vacant WBO super welterweight world championship.
A statement win there and Zayas could unlock a star opponent as a dream fight in the making — beginning with Jaron 'Boots' Ennis.
Such a mega bout between the dynamic fighters would need to be moved from The Theater to Madison Square Garden itself as Zayas knows it would make for a mouthwatering matchup.
"On the East Coast, him being from Philly, me fighting so many times in New York and being Puerto Rican, it could be an excellent fight," Zayas told DAZN News.
Another possible opponent for Zayas on the distant horizon could be WBC middleweight king Carlos Adames.
"It’s a fight that’s intriguing," Zayas admitted. "With the population of Puerto Ricans and Dominicans in New York City, it’s a fight that could sell a lot.
"We also have an opponent in common with Patrick Teixeira, the only person that beat him; a person that I beat. It’s something that’s intriguing and it’s something that when I move up to 160, we could look towards to."
Zayas locked in on Garcia
Speaking freely about such star-studded fights is something that Zayas (21-0, 13 KOs) vows won't interfere with handling Garcia (33-4, 26 KOs) who he cites as a pressure fighter and warrior.
That and the fact Zayas would like to deliver a thrilling win to close out what has been a rough few weeks for Puerto Rican fighters headlining in New York City.
Amanda Serrano lost her trilogy fight to Katie Taylor via unanimous decision at Madison Square Garden earlier this month, followed by Edgar Berlanga being brutally knocked out by Hamzah Sheeraz the next night at Louis Armstrong Stadium in Queens.
That latter card did see Subriel Matias becoming the new WBC super lightweight world champion by eking out a win over Alberto Puello, giving Puerto Rican fans something to celebrate.
All this being said, Zayas cannot afford a letdown in a title opportunity earned by ironic circumstance. Zayas was the mandatory challenger to then-unified super welterweight world champion Sebastian Fundora.
However, Fundora chose to fight Tim Tszyu in a rematch last weekend instead and thus was forced to vacate the WBO title, putting it up for grabs this weekend.
Top Rank
Despite that fight not materializing, Zayas is still open to clashing with "The Towering Inferno," vowing he can solve the complex puzzle that the six-foot-six WBC champ presents.
"A fight with him, it’s going to be a good fight," Zayas said. "Even though he’s tall, he’s a fighter that doesn’t know how to fight on the outside. His distance is not the best. He’s a very static fighter, throws a lot of combinations that put a lot of pressure. We already have names to bring into camp if that fight were to happen."
While many of these aforementioned fights can build with care and time, what is most pressing at the moment is Zayas fulfilling a boxer's dream — becoming a world champion.
Zayas affirms: "You can only fight for the first world title once."
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