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Xander Zayas is not the first Puerto Rican boxer to feel at home in New York, but Saturday, the 22-year-old set himself apart by becoming the youngest current world champion after he captured the vacant WBO junior middleweight title with a dominant decision win over Jorge Garcia Perez at the Theater at Madison Square Garden.
Fighting at the Garden for the eighth time in his career, Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) was in control from the opening bell, using elusive footwork and counterpunching to quell Garcia Perez’s awkward but powerful offense. As Zayas picked up on his opponent’s timing, he maintained distance — even when Garcia Perez, standing in a corner after absorbing a combination, tried to bring in Zayas. When Garcia Perez closed the distance, Zayas tied him up.
All three judges awarded the fight to Zayas (116-112, 118-110, 119-109). Garcia Perez, a 28-year-old from Mexico, saw his eight-fight winning streak end.
In the final 30 seconds of Round 6, Zayas punctuated an exchange with a right hand that sent Garcia Perez (33-4, 26 KOs) stumbling into the ropes. Garcia Perez regained his footing, but Zayas continued to pick him apart.
Garcia Perez appeared to be fading, but he had a strong eighth round, throwing more combinations. But in the ninth, Zayas avoided damage and answered with combinations. He was in control the rest of the way, landing at a high percentage and making Garcia Perez miss.
According to CompuBox, Zayas landed 50 more jabs and 19 more power punches than Garcia Perez despite throwing 81 fewer punches. Garcia Perez connected on 22% of his total punches and 24% of his power punches, while Zayas connected on 38% of his total punches and 45% of his power punches. Zayas also held a 59-31 edge in body shots landed.
“It’s amazing. It’s amazing to represent Puerto Rico at the highest level and to just put the pride of my island where it belongs — at the top,” said Zayas, who is the most recent fighter from Puerto Rico to win the junior middleweight world championship.
Zayas, who is No. 8 in the ESPN junior middleweight rankings, is 22 years, 324 days old. The next-youngest champ is welterweight Brian Norman Jr. at 24 years, 245 days.
In the co-main event, Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington won the vacant WBC interim featherweight title with a one-sided decision win over Mateus Heita.
Carrington (16-0, 9 KOs) was a heavy favorite, and it showed. After a relatively competitive first three rounds, Carrington began connecting to the body and head with right-hand counters.
Heita took several solid punches to the head in the middle rounds but was not wobbled. His activity diminished, and Carrington ramped up the attack while eluding most of Heita’s big punches. Carrington threw combinations until the final bell, and the judges rewarded him with a unanimous decision (120-108, 119-109, 119-109).
It was Heita’s first loss of his career, dropping the 27-year-old from Namibia to 14-1 in his first fight outside Africa. Carrington is No. 6 in ESPN’s featherweight rankings.
After receiving his interim belt, Carrington turned his focus to WBO champion Rafael Espinoza, who was ringside. “I see you in the crowd,” Carrington said, pointing at Espinoza. “I want you, bro. You already know. My team has called your team. I want to fight.”
On the undercard Saturday, Emilianio Vargas, son of former light middleweight champion Fernando Vargas, improved to 15-0 with a 42-second knockout of junior welterweight Alexander Espinoza. It was Vargas’ sixth straight knockout and the 13th of his career.