Xander Zayas Becomes Boxing’s Youngest Champion

The pivotal moment came late in Round 6, when Zayas rocked Garcia Perez with a crisp right hand, sending him stumbling into the ropes. While Garcia Perez now (33-4, 26 KOs) survived the round and showed heart, Zayas methodically broke him down over the remaining frames.

The electric crowd at MSG’s Theater roared with every clean shot from the Puerto Rican phenom, and by the end of the night, it was clear. Zayas has officially arrived as a world class star.

Puerto Rico’s next star?

Zayas became the youngest current world champion in boxing and the first Puerto Rican to hold a title at 154 pounds since the legendary Miguel Cotto. Miguel Cotto, a Hall of Famer and national icon, last held a junior middleweight title in 2010 when he defeated Yuri Foreman at Yankee Stadium. Since then, Puerto Rico has produced top tier fighters across various weight classes, but Zayas is now seen as the island’s next superstar especially in a division once ruled by one of its greatest champions.

Zayas’ poise, technical ability, and maturity inside the ring are drawing comparisons to early career Cotto. Beyond his skills, Zayas carries himself with pride in his Puerto Rican heritage, regularly fighting on Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend in New York, a tradition that once belonged to Cotto. If he continues this trajectory, Zayas may not only follow in Cotto’s footsteps  he could carve out his own path as the face of Puerto Rican boxing in the new era.