Xander Zayas says he was offered the fight against WBC interim junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. for the February 22nd event in Riyadh. Vergil Jr’s team chose former WBA 154-lb champion Israil Madrimov instead. Interestingly, #1 WBO-ranked Zayas (20-0, 12 KOs) says Ortiz Jr. went the “safer route” by choosing Madrimov over him.
Most boxing fans would disagree with Xander, as ‘Little GGG’ Madrimov came close to beating Terence Crawford in his last fight on August 3rd in Los Angeles, and he’s a bigger puncher with better technical skills than the Puerto Rican fighter.
Zayas’ Future
Zayas, 22, lacks power and has already shown signs of having a weak chin, getting hurt by second-tier opposition. It’s believed that Top Rank is trying to turn Zayas into a star in the New York area like they did with Edgar Berlanga with careful matchmaking.
Zayas will need to be protected about as much as Berlanga was to keep him from losing because he doesn’t look like he’s physically designed to compete with killers like Vergil Ortiz, Bakhram Murtazaliev, Serhii Bohachuk, Sebastian Fundora, or Charles Conwell.
Zayas is fighting Slawa Spomer (20-0, 11 KOs) in the 10-round feature spot on the Denys Berinchyk vs. Keyshawn Davis card this Friday, February 14th, at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York City.
“They did offer me the fight. They gave me an hour to answer the call. We answered right away. I felt like I needed to go on social media and let the fans know the fight was offered and I accepted in case he went back and said, ‘Zander didn’t accept it. We offered it to Zander.’ I had to let the fans know I accepted it first, and I was the one that said, ‘Yes,'” said Xander Zayas to Ring Magazine about him being offered the Vergil Ortiz Jr. fight first on February 22nd.
“We also know he [Vergil Jr] had other options, but he went the safer route [Israil Madrimov], fighting a former world champion. If he wins, he beat a former world champion. If he loses, he loses to a former world champion. Fighting me, he loses to ‘the young guy. Oh wait, what was all this hype about?’ So, it’s business,” said Zayas.
