That confidence came after a tense reading of the cards. One judge had it 116-112 for Baraou. Two tied the score for Zayas. He admitted the guard had come to him. “When I heard the decision, I was a little scared,” he said. “But to be honest, I felt like I got it right. I won at least eight or nine rounds. Maybe he got three or four.”
Zayas outlined the problem he had to solve mid-fight. “I hurt my left hand in the ninth round,” he said. “I jabbed a lot and he has a hard head, so I hurt my jabbing hand. But I figured it out, like all champions do. Champions find a way to win.”
Zayas worked from his feet, jabbing and pressing with short combinations, forcing Baraou to press and overreach. When Baraou found success with right hands in the fifth, Zayas remained disciplined. In the ninth, a clean right hand staggered Baraou and briefly drew Zayas in return. He corrected course and boxed well until the end.
Baraou accepts the result without complaint
Baraou offered no dispute thereafter. “Congratulations to him,” he said. “I’m proud of his performance. He beat me fair and square. He deserves it. I’ll come back stronger.”
Zayas now has two belts at 154, tightening mandatory timelines and raising the price of every decision. His own words suggest growth under pressure rather than dominance without cost. Hand hurt. Close cards. Adjustments made in real time.
Against seasoned junior middleweights who cut the ring and keep the pace high, those adjustments will have to come sooner. The belts say unified champion. His comments say a fighter is still learning how to close rounds without allowing judges into it. The next defense will test whether that lesson sticks when the pressure starts sooner and the margins shrink.
