Angela Piazza/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Xander Zayas Eyes First Defense at Home

Originally posted on Dice City Sports | By Robert LaMar | Last updated Aug 31, 2025 4:13 PM ET

Madison Square Garden has long been a proving ground for Puerto Rican boxing greatness. On July 26, Xander Zayas added his name to that legacy. Fighting at MSG Theater, just floors below where Miguel Cotto and Felix Trinidad cemented their Hall of Fame status, Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) captured the vacant WBO junior middleweight title with a dominant unanimous decision over Mexico’s Jorge Garcia Perez (33-5, 28 KOs).

A Dream Realized

For the 22-year-old from San Juan, the victory was more than just a belt it was a dream fulfilled.

“It was beautiful. Something that I always dreamed of,” Zayas told The Ring. “I didn’t expect it to be at MSG. I thought it was going to be in Vegas, fighting Sebastian Fundora and becoming unified champion. But it happened where it needed to happen. It happened how it needed to happen, and I’m just blessed to be in this position.”

Zayas outboxed Perez with poise beyond his years, using sharp combinations and disciplined movement to become the youngest active world champion in boxing.

Tomorrow, join us for a special WBO Gives Back seminar: “From the Ring to the Social Media Platforms.”

Xander Zayas invites all fighters to be part of this important session on how to build your image, maximize opportunities, and protect your brand.

Saturday, August 30 — 11… pic.twitter.com/tHHsXRYfEv

— WBO (@WorldBoxingOrg) August 29, 2025

A Shifting Division

Zayas’ title opportunity opened when Sebastian Fundora, the WBC champion, vacated the WBO strap to focus on a rematch with Tim Tszyu a fight Fundora won by stoppage on July 19. That cleared the path for Zayas to claim gold earlier than expected, accelerating his rise in one of boxing’s most competitive divisions.

Looking Ahead: A Homecoming?

Now, Zayas and his team are already looking at what’s next. His hope: a first title defense in Puerto Rico before the end of 2025.

“I would love the first defense to be in Puerto Rico,” Zayas said. “That’s something that we and the team want to do, and we’re pushing for that. I’ve only fought there once as a professional, in my fourth fight. Coming back as a world champion, I think it’s going to be even bigger.”

The Bigger Picture

With charisma, an unbeaten record, and a world title at just 22, Zayas looks primed to carry Puerto Rico’s rich boxing tradition into the next generation. Like Cotto and Trinidad before him, he now has the platform to grow into a superstar and he seems intent on seizing it.

This article first appeared on Dice City Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: