Tim Bradley says he chooses WBO junior middleweight champion Xander Zayas to defeat Vergil Ortiz Jr. when the fight is fed. He believes that Zayas (23-0, 13 COs) is too technical, young and big for Ortiz jr. (23-0, 21 COs) to handle his talent.
Santillan fights rumors
Top ranking may not share Bradley’s same confidence in Zayas because in December he would make his first defense of his 154-pound WBO title by the recently Skweled contender for welter weight Young Santillan In Puerto Rico.
“I’m going with young Xander Zayas. He is going to shock the world. He’s going to show that talent, ‘Tim Bradley says on his channelChoose Xander Zayas to defeat Vergil Ortiz Jr. when the fight is fed. “We all know what Vergil Ortiz can do. We saw him against guys who could box. Xander Zayas, that’s what he’s doing. ‘
Zayas against top contenders
Xander would be hopelessly too much for Vergil Ortiz Jr., as would be the case against other fighters in the top -15. Even in the WBO’s Top -15 rankings, Zayas wouldn’t have a chance against these five contenders:
- Jaron Ennis
- Israil Madrimov
- Serhii Bohachuk
- Erickson Lubi
- Charles Conwell
“He doesn’t have the biggest power in the world, but do you know what he’s doing? The boy is tactically good, has fresh legs, he is also strong, great, he has the reach, and he knows how to keep the distance and box from the outside, ‘Bradley said of Zayas.
Xander’s excessive housing tactics
Zayas is actually not good at keeping the fight on the outside because he gets tired of moving, and it’s easy to cut the ring on him. The slow foot Jorge Garcia regularly caught him, but he did not have the right training to fight through the excessive clinic he did. The referee could not do his job by addressing the uninterrupted holding. It was exceptionally excessive, and it must have led to point deductions. For the highest rank, it was the ideal situation with that referee who worked the Zayas-Garcia struggle, rather than someone who does his job.
Bradley’s Zayas Organ Jr. Prophesy
“He’s going to bind ortiz when he gets close. He’s going to give him hell, ‘says Bradley.’ I’m going with Xander Zayas about this. Let the fight happen, the top rankings and Golden Boy. Xander Zayas is there now. His confidence is at a peak of all time, and he is also a belt holder. Let the fight happen. I choose Xander Zayas to upset Vergil Ortiz. “
To clinch by Xander will not be enough to prevent Vergil jr. Coming on him and scored a knockout in this battle. The tactics worked for Zayas against Jorge Garcia, but it won’t be enough to keep ortiz off. He will need real offense and power to win.
The protection of Xander Zayas
These are areas where Xander is flawed. Besides, if top rank actually thought that Zayas A-level fighters like Vergil Jr. would not have gone in the direction of fighting him for the vacant WBO belt. They would have gone directly to the top by matching him against IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev or WBC champion Sebastian Fundora. They know what they have in Zayas, and understand that he must be protected as if he were the crown jewels.
“Vergil, I hope they make him the favorite in the fight because we’re going to make a lot of money. There will be quite a few sad faces after they see that Vergil Ortiz is going off from the young, determined, hungry Xander Zayas,” Bradley said.
It’s good to see Bradley remain loyal to the top ranking by supporting their creation, Xander. It would look like a betrayal on his part if he Vergil jr. Choose over Zayas openly. It will be interesting to know what Bradley’s real view is about this battle. His sidewalk with unproven, light Zayas after his actions against Jorge Garcia looks like he doesn’t want to disrupt things.
Last updated on 08/03/2025
