Xander Zayas Delivers Championship in Top Rank Finale at MSG

Xander Zayas delivered a marvelous finale for Top Rank Boxing at The Theatre at Madison Square Garden Saturday night.

In the final main event on the final Top Rank card on ESPN, Zayas of Puerto Rico (22-0, 13 KOs) won his first world title with a thrilling action fight against Jorge Garcia of Mexico (33-4, 26 KOs). Zayas wins the vacant WBO World Junior Middleweight belt.

Xander Zayas delivered a championship performance against a tough Jorge Garcia. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing

How fitting to have Top Rank’s youngest ever signee at 16 years old to now become the youngest active world champion at age 22, 330 days, taking the place of Gabriela Fundora. Zayas signed with Top Rank at age 16.

Xander Zayas Delivers On A Dream

Xander Zayas landed a wide variety of effective punches. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing

Zayas said he dreamed of the moment since he was five years old. “It’s a dream come true. I’d imagine it, and I can imagine it a million more times, and it will never be like this. This is beautiful … it’s amazing. I can never dream of anything better than this.”

Immediately after his victory, 94-year-old Top Rank Boxing founder Bob Arum congratulated the young champion, fulfilling the promise he saw in Zayas six years ago.

Zayas put together all his boxing skills to get the wide decision victory over Garcia by scores of 119-109, 118-110, and 116-112.

“Boxing 101, I had to box my way to victory,” said Zayas. “I knew that if I stand in there with him, I was going to fight his fight. So, it was everything behind the jab. The job is the key to everything, the key to victory, and we showed it today.”

Zayas also showed he has enough power to keep a tough opponent like Garcia honest, and fight smart as well as hard. He used all the basics: speed, ootwork, combination punches, excellent counterpunching and check hooks, body shots. Zayas also demonstrated a good chin against his Mexican opponent. He needed it all against Garcia.

Jorge Garcia was up to the challenge and kept Xander Zayas honest, especially in the early rounds. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing

Jorge Garcia surprised boxing fans with his upset victory over Charles Conwell in April and proved his performance wasn’t a fluke. In the early rounds, Garcia kept Zayas honest with his offense. However, Garcia was eventually slowed down. He remained competitive and aggressive even when he didn’t win rounds, making for a fun fight to watch.

New Puerto Rican Boxing Champion

Xander Zayas saluted his Puerto Rican fans at MSG, including his family and champions Amanda Serrano and Subriel Matias. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing

Now, Puerto Rico has another world champion, joining Oscar Collazo, Subriel Matias, and Amanda Serrano. Both Matias and Serrano were on hand to cheer Zayas on to victory.

Zayas said he and his family believed 2025 would be his year. “We have to go in that ring and do our jobs, and I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to come out victorious,” thanking his team, including his nutritionists and sparring partners, for helping him prepare.

Zayas thanked his Puerto Rican fans numerous times, but saved a special shoutout for one of them. “I also want to give a big shout-out to my mom. She never quit on me. She always knew that I was going to be in this position, and she made everything work for me to be here today. So thank you to my mom.”

Zayas says he will be ready for a title defense in December, naming unified champion Sebastian Fundora as the man in his gunsights.

Bruce Carrington Cruises to Win

Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington breezed to a victory over Mateus Heita. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing

In the co-feature, Brooklyn native Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (16-0, 9 KOs) dominated unbeaten Mateus Heita of Namibia (14-1, 9 KOs) with a skillful performance and a breeze to a victory for the WBC interim featherweight world title.

After a few rounds to assess Heita, Carrington settled in, working early with precise counterpunching, then stepping it up starting in the eighth round, focusing on body punching followed up by right hooks. It seemed at this point Carrington might press for a stoppage. Instead, he was on cruise control and won the fight easily. The scorecards were 120-108, and 119-109 twice.

“I really wanted to show that I could go to full 12 rounds,” said Carrington. That’s the championship level right there, showing out through the full 12 rounds. I feel good, I feel in shape, I feel sharp, and I’m just ready for that next level … I feel like everybody at this point now want to see me in a ring with one of these champions.”

With a win, Bruce Carrington hopes to get a world title fight opportunity. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing

Without a doubt, Carrington has all the right skills, but not enough thrills. Compare his win Saturday to the sensational performance in May by WBO World Featherweight champion Rafael Espinoza on the Inoue vs Cardenas undercard. Espinoza delivered a memorable action fight against Edwin Vazquez, which ended in a seventh-round knockout.

Carrington called out Espinoza who was ringside. He also called out featherweight champions Angelo Leo and Nick Ball. Carrington has earned a title fight, but outside of New York, he should not be too surprised if fans root for his opponent.

Carrington landed 207 of 492 punches thrown (42%) compared to 122 of 549 punches for Haita (22%).

Emiliano Vargas Scores Sensational First Round KO

Emiliano Fernando Vargas ran over Alexander Espinoza like a freight train. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing

Emiliano Fernando Vargas of Los Angeles (15-0, 13 KOs) needed a mere 42 seconds to send Alexander Espinoza of Ecuador (20-4-1, 9 KOs) to the shadow realm in their super lightweight fight. Vargas set up a picture-perfect pull counter straight right to the chin of Espinoza. Adios, muchacho. Espinoza had no idea where he was, or what had happened.
It was Vargas’s quickest KO of his pro career.

“Alexander Espinoza is the most experienced fighter I’ve ever fought. I was ready for 15 rounds tonight. You know, it’s a blessing that I got to do it so quick. They don’t pay me for overtime, though, you know, so I had to get it done fast,” said Vargas, who thanked the New York fans.

“Thank you for showing out. I’m just a Mexican kid trying to make it to the top.

An overhead look at the knockout scores by Emiliano Fernando Vargas. Photo: Top Rank Boxing

With his father and trainer, former world champion “Feroz” Fernando Vargas, at his side, the younger Vargas said, “Twenty-six years ago, my father fought here, and history repeats itself. If I could be half as great as my father was, I’d make it a long way. So, I want to thank my father. I love you with all my heart, and I wouldn’t be if it wasn’t for you,” said Vargas, noting that every legendary boxer has fought at Madison Square Garden.

Vargas vowed he will be a world champion within his next three to four fights. “My father taught me how to be a winner, and that’s all I’m going to do. I’m going to continue to win.”

Vargas was back in the ring after another impressive knockout on the Inoue vs Cardenas card in May. He is still just 21 years old, and smart to stay as busy as possible.

Polanco, De Jesus, Santana Winners On Undercard

Caribbean standout prospects all got victories on the undercard.

Rohan Polanco continues his rise with a solid victory over Quinton Randall. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing

Rohan Polanco of the Dominican Republic (17-0, 10 KOs) put in ten solid rounds against veteran Quinton Randall (15-3-1, 3 KOs) to get the victory. Scores were 100-90, 99-91, and 97-93.

Randall gave welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. a solid scrap. Taking Polanco the distance will pay off for the prospect in the long run. While Polanco was never in danger, he got hit with a few too many solid right hooks. This is the kind of information that preps a fighter for tougher tetsts ahead.

Juanmita Lopez De Jesus scored his second knockout win as a professional. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing

Second-generation Puerto Rican prospect Juanmita Lopez De Jesus (3-0, 2 KO) made a splash with a second-round TKO win in his second appearance at The Theater against Jorge Gonzalez-Sanchez (5-3, 4 KOs).

Lopez De Jesus dropped Gonzalez-Sanchez twice in the first round, first with a straight left and second with combination punching against the ropes. In the second, Lopez De Jesus made it stick when he led with a left hook to the body, followed by a cuffing right hook. The stoppage seemed premature, but the end was likely inevitable.

Yan Santana is quietly rolling up an impressive record. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing

Featherweight Yan Santana of the Dominican Republic (15-0, 12 KOs handled world title challenger Aaron Alameda (30-3, 17 KOs) with ease, getting a shutout unanimous decision victory with scores of 100-90 on all three cards. Santana’s Dominican fans in New York cheered him on throughout the fight.

Top Rank Boxing Says Goodbye to ESPN

Saturday’s card marked the final Top Rank Boxing event on ESPN. Photo: Mikey Williams, Top Rank Boxing

Top Rank Boxing‘s eight-year relationship with its media partner ESPN came to an end with Saturday’s card. Boxing no longer appears on any linear television in the U.S. It is now all on streaming channels.

Top Rank reports it is pursuing a new media home and speaking to several candidates. It has no fight cards on the calendar in August.