The brain trust at 60-year-old Top Rank is beyond shrewd enough to wisely maneuver a gifted, young fighter to a world title and an extended reign, if it so chooses.
Xander Zayas, 23, knows that, and yet he’s still rushing to a Saturday night DAZN pay-per-view showdown against Philadelphia’s unbeaten former unified welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis at Barclays Center in New York.
Within the past 11 months, Puerto Rico’s Zayas, 23-0 (13 KOs), has won the WBO and WBA junior middleweight titles in consecutive fights versus Jorge Garcia and Abass Baraou.
The obligations of those two sanctioning bodies would’ve likely allowed Zayas to keep busy and steer clear of the 28-year-old Ennis, 35-0 (31 KOs), who arrived at the division with a first-round knockout and currently positioned as WBO No. 1 contender and WBA interim champion.
“Whatever he’s getting for fighting ‘Boots,’ he could’ve got just a little less for fighting next in Puerto Rico,” said a veteran boxing official familiar with the situation. “He could’ve gone to Puerto Rico twice for the other belt. Think about it: two defenses to make the fight bigger, and then go fight ‘Boots,’ and it’s still there for him. Look at the bigger picture, you know.”
Zayas had none of that “marinating” that his veteran promoter Bob Arum has leaned into on more than one occasion.
Yet, the promotion will also abide by its fighter’s wishes, and Zayas – who, at 16, was the youngest-ever fighter signed by Top Rank – made a bold decision that echoes of 23-year-old Canelo Alvarez’s 2013 stroke to fight pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jnr.
Accepting even an unfavorable weight agreement, Alvarez was convincingly defeated in a disputed majority decision loss.
Yet, that defeat brought Alvarez to his most high-profile bout and it brought him an additional wealth of fans who cheered him on through a slate of title fights versus mostly non-legends over the following years.
Right when Ennis’ negotiations with WBC interim champion Vergil Ortiz Jnr crumbled, Zayas’ team swooped in, striking a quick agreement for the main event at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
“I respect Xander so much. ‘Boots’ needed Xander way more than Xander needed him,” the official said.
Whether he’s considering that payment to fans longing for fighters to jump on the best bouts available, Zayas should definitely expect to recoup loyalty from his base and more should he fare well in defeat versus -550 betting favorite Ennis.
“I’ve got 12 rounds to work. I might have a bad round, but I can make the adjustments and have three great rounds. Understanding there’s a tempo to be set… you want the fighter to start fighting your fight,” Zayas told BoxingScene recently.
“Once that happens, I take over. And you guys are seeing what I can do in that ring. I feel like I’m growing. I’m getting better. I’m getting stronger. I’m getting sharper. I’m getting smarter. In every sense of the word.”
Ennis has widespread support in the industry because of his prior dominance and impressive boxing and finishing skill as some see him as Terence Crawford’s heir apparent.
However, Zayas is taking the bout to win, and there is a theory that the rehydrated champion will not be stopped by Ennis and might be able to find success in the times when the aggressive Ennis eschews defense and makes it a toe-to-toe scrap.
“He reminds me of Meldrick Taylor,” the official said. “Great boxer, but a warrior mentality and they always go to war. When he did that, ‘Boots’ was getting rocked by shots by Karen [Chukhadzhian]. He can’t afford that with Xander.”
Part of Zayas’ rush to compete at the highest levels of 154 pounds – he previously attended WBC champion Sebastian Fundora’s title fight to call him out last year – might be rooted in his sense he’s outgrowing the division.
The expectation, as with Alvarez, is that Zayas will settle at super middleweight in his 30s.
He also can see a less-formidable group of champions at middleweight, including PED-sidelined Janibek Alimkhanuly, 43-year-old Erislandy Lara, Carlos Adames and an IBF vacancy.
“This might be his last fight at 154,” the official said. “He’s a big kid. I could see him going to 160 six months from now because he walks around at 185-190 (pounds) and rehydrates close to that, too. He sucks down and dries out, then adds 25 pounds. He’ll be a legit super middleweight later in his career.”
In the meantime, there’s Saturday night’s intense challenge.
Those who’ve followed Zayas closest say he literally has nothing to lose and everything to gain.
His popularity in Puerto Rico already assures he can always return there for strongly attended bouts, and his sporting demeanor is respectful, akin to his Hall of Fame countryman Miguel Cotto, while bringing the type of charisma that distinguishes.
He’s delivering the audience the type of matchup it wants most, and is either young enough to not know better or experienced beyond his years to be playing this exactly right.
