#1 Xander Zayas and #2 Jorge Garcia Perez reached an agreement to fight for the vacant WBO junior middleweight title. The location and date of the fight will be announced soon. The former WBO champion, Sebastian Fundora, chose to give up the WBO 154-pound belt after the sanction body ordered him to negotiate with 22-year-old Puerto Rican native Zayas (21-0, 13 COs).
The on-Trinity
It’s not that Fundora was afraid of light defensive fighter Zayas. He chose to take a better paying battle in a re-broadcast with Tim Tszyu on July 19 on the Manny Pacquiao against Mario Barrios card. Zayas wanted Fundora to do a premature face with him after his recent victory over Chordale Booker, but he chose not to do so because he had no plans to fight him.
Xander looked stupid and desperate and came to Fundora’s locker room and tried to get a face. If the fight had occurred, Fundora would have been a big favorite because Zayas had no offended. His only path to winning fights is by hitting, moving and clinching in that order.
Zayas is not known outside the New York Arena, and His style is very boring. He is the opposite of fellow Puerto Rican fighters Felix Trinidad and Miguel Cotto. He is more like a Puerto Rican Shakur Stevenson, which is not good. He also has a little Devin Haney in him. You can see Haney’s style in Xander, suggesting that he and Shakur have used him and Shakur as role models.
Perez (33-4, 26 CO’s) comes from a 12-round decision of the decision of Charles Conwell On April 19 in Oceanside, California. No one expected Perez, 6’0 ″, to defeat the previously unbeaten Conwell, but he used his body attack and combination punch to make him better.
Please the opportunity?
Zayas’ defects
– no power
– Poor chin
– Never tested: Top rank has linked Zayas against exclusive mediocre opposition
– not ready for elite competition
– dull style
“Vacant WBO 154 pounds. Title Xander Zayas against Jorge Garcia. The WBO confirms that the top rank, Golden Boy and Zanfer promotions have reached an agreement for the subject. X.
Last updated on 05/13/2025
