Puerto Rican boxing sensation Xander Zayas defends his WBO junior middleweight world title against WBA champion Abass Baraou on Saturday, January 31, at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan. This unification bout represents only the second time in history that two world titles merge on Puerto Rican soil, highlighting Zayas’s bold ambition.
From Self-Defense to Championship Discipline
The 23-year-old Zayas, once boxing’s youngest male world champion, chose this high-stakes matchup over a simpler voluntary defense. The fight occurs just before the Teofimo Lopez-Shakur Stevenson main event at Madison Square Garden, underscoring his drive for legacy over caution.
Zayas entered the sport out of necessity rather than passion. ‘It definitely took me some time to enjoy boxing as a sport because it’s incredibly hard, especially on your body,’ he explains. ‘But I was already being hit at school and in my neighborhood. So, when I started, I didn’t start for fun; I started because I had to learn to defend myself against those bullies.’
What began as survival evolved into a profound commitment. ‘I fell in love with the discipline. I fell in love with the hard work and the dedication you have to put in. It taught me a lot,’ Zayas reflects. He never sought revenge on his tormentors. ‘I never actually went back to those bullies,’ he says. ‘I didn’t think I needed to show them anything. I felt like they kind of noticed the confidence growing and me not being afraid anymore.’
Signing with Top Rank and Embracing Responsibility
At 16, Zayas signed with Top Rank, earning endorsements from Puerto Rican icons Miguel Cotto and Felix Trinidad. This moment brought responsibility rather than pressure. ‘I wouldn’t say pressure. It’s a responsibility,’ he states. ‘I know what I have to do. I know what I want to do. I know what I want to accomplish.’
Praise from idols holds emotional weight, yet Zayas emphasizes action over words. ‘Hearing praise from champions I grew up watching carries emotional significance,’ he admits, ‘but obviously, at the end of the day, it doesn’t mean anything if I don’t prove it every time I’m in the ring.’
For Zayas, success demands constant proof. ‘I have to stay locked in, I have to stay hungry, I have to stay dedicated to this. To keep showing up, to keep showing that I keep getting better, to keep showing that I keep improving, to keep showing that I am who I say I am,’ he declares. ‘Because it doesn’t matter who says that, outside of me showing it.’
Pursuing Legacy Through Unification
After capturing the WBO title by unanimous decision in July, Zayas opted for unification against Baraou instead of an easier opponent. ‘I feel like some people are afraid to lose their 0, or some people are just interested in the business side of things and think they’ll get that elsewhere,’ he observes. ‘I feel like it’s more about the legacy for me, then everything else will come.’
He defines legacy in tangible achievements. ‘Legacy will stay with me forever, even when I decide to retire or when I passed away,’ Zayas says. ‘I will be remembered as a champion that in his first title defense, went to get two titles in a matter of a six months span.’ His aim is clear: ‘I’m going to collect two titles. I’m going to be the first Puerto Rican to ever unify titles on Puerto Rican soil.’
This milestone resonates culturally. ‘The fact I’ll be the first Puerto Rican to become unified champion on Puerto Rican soil means the world,’ he affirms. ‘I just keep writing history and that will always follow me, that will always be with me, no matter how much money, no matter what I do outside of the ring. I will always be a world champion. I will always be remembered as a world champion.’
Balancing Business and Passion
Zayas acknowledges boxing’s financial demands amid its physical costs. ‘Obviously everybody wants to make the best out of it as they can,’ he notes, ‘noting the physical toll of boxing and the short window most fighters have at the top. ‘There’s only so much punishment your body can handle from taking blows that maybe in other sports you can adapt a bit longer.’
Money entered his mindset later. ‘When I was growing up, I didn’t know that the professionals got paid,’ Zayas reveals. ‘All I knew was professional fighters fight without head gear and get belts. So that was always the mindset. Just collect those belts, collect that legacy.’ Only later did business aspects emerge, but his core drive remains historical impact.
Inspirations include Cotto, whom he admires for his respect and clean retirement. ‘Miguel Cotto was a top guy, very respectful guy inside and outside the ring,’ Zayas says. ‘A gentleman… and that’s something that I aspire to be.’ He also draws from Manny Pacquiao, Felix Trinidad, Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr., Canelo Alvarez, and Terence Crawford—legends who ‘completed everything in boxing.’
Strategy Against Baraou
Zayas knows Baraou well from extensive sparring. ‘We shared a couple of rounds—I’ll say probably 80 plus rounds, maybe less, maybe a bit more,’ he details. ‘Maybe two or three camps in total.’
While gym sessions offer insights, Zayas stresses adaptation. ‘When the body gets tired, when the mind gets fatigued, you’re going to go back to those old habits,’ he warns. ‘And those old habits are always going to be there, and I’m going to make him pay for all those habits every single time.’
As a pressure fighter, Baraou poses challenges, but Zayas relies on his movement. ‘My movement is always key,’ he insists. ‘Nobody can keep up with my rhythm. Every time I get in a rhythm, it’s hard for me to get off of it, and it’s hard for them to keep up with it.’
His approach stays straightforward: ‘Continue to do what I’ve been doing. Have fun, be relaxed in there. Just put on a show.’ Vigilance remains essential, especially after Baraou’s recent knockout. ‘In boxing, every fighter is dangerous until the last bell sounds or the referee stops you,’ Zayas cautions. ‘Any punch can change the fight. Any punch can literally overturn the whole outcome of the fight.’
Preparation involves sharp focus. ‘I have to be very, very mindful. I have to be active. I have to be smart. I have to be able to see everything,’ he says, adding with a smile, ‘It’s like The Matrix. I gotta slow motion everything, and then just have fun in there.’ Ultimately, ‘It comes down to how focused I can be, and I know I can maintain focus for 36 minutes.’
The Coliseo de Puerto Rico, site of historic bouts like Cotto’s 2004 knockout, adds layers of significance. As Zayas steps into the ring, his journey from fear to fearlessness tests his philosophy against a familiar foe and expectant home crowd.
