Observers suggest that if Xander Zayas chooses Sebastian Fundora as his next opponent, he may as well cede his WBO junior middleweight title. They believe he lacks the capability to triumph over Fundora, known as ‘The Towering Inferno.’ It’s perceived that Sebastian’s offensive arsenal would overwhelm Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs).
Xander Zayas: Concerns About Punching Power
Based on Zayas’s performance in his recent 12-round unanimous decision victory against Jorge Garcia (33-5, 26 KOs), some speculate that he might even be defeated by Tim Tszyu. It’s argued that he lacks the necessary power to trouble Tszyu and wouldn’t be able to effectively defend himself through movement and clinching.
Top Rank’s decision-makers face a significant choice regarding Xander’s upcoming bout. They are probably hoping that Turki Alalshikh might show interest in him and present a substantial financial offer for him to compete against someone like Fundora or a more manageable opponent, such as Josh Kelly.
Murtazaliev: A Potential Challenge for Zayas
A scenario that would be concerning for Top Rank would be if Turki wanted Zayas to face IBF 154-lb champion Bakhram Murtazaliev. It’s thought that Xander would not only likely lose, but also suffer a defeat that would severely diminish his marketability, leading to a decline in fan support as they realize they were misled by the hype.
“You all have witnessed my progress. You all have observed the improvements in my skillset each time. I made adjustments whenever needed, and today was no different,” Xander Zayas stated to the media following his acquisition of the vacant WBO junior middleweight title by defeating Jorge Garcia.
Xander doesn’t seem to have evolved significantly from his form three years ago. The primary changes are his age and increased size, but he still appears to lack significant power and relies heavily on movement. His fight against Garcia resembled a ‘Tom and Jerry’ chase. The constant movement and holding employed by Zayas made it a less engaging spectacle.
“Today, I faced a formidable opponent in Jorge Garcia Perez. I advanced. We anticipated he would come to fight. We needed to maintain distance, and we succeeded in doing so. We managed to frustrate him,” Zayas commented.
Perceived Leniency from the Referee
Zayas neglects to mention that he employed excessive holding and movement to frustrate Garcia. The referee, Eric Dali, adopted a relaxed approach to officiating, permitting Xander to frequently clinch to neutralize Garcia’s offensive efforts. It’s argued that warnings and point deductions should have been issued to Zayas due to his excessive use of clinching.
