The X File: Zayas Wins Junior Middleweight World Title in MSG Triumph

NEW YORK CITY (July 26, 2025) — He turned pro at the age of 17. At 22, Puerto Rico's chosen one became a champion.

Xander Zayas dominated Mexico's Jorge Garcia by unanimous decision (116-112, 118-110, and 119-109) to win the WBO junior middleweight world title Saturday evening at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. 

Garcia (33-5, 26 KOs), fueled by his upset win over Charles Conwell in April, launched toward Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) with wildly thrown punches. Zayas evaded most shots, soon adjusting to a game plan of quick jabs to the body and occasional right hands.

Still, Garcia managed to drag Zayas into a fight, especially in the sixth as both went toe-to-toe with hooks in the center of the ring. But by the seventh and eighth, Zayas’ counterpunching began to wear down Garcia as he easily outboxed him in the championship rounds.

Zayas said, "Boxing 101. I had to box my way to victory. I knew that if I stood in front of him that I’d be fighting his fight. So, I did everything behind the jab. The jab was the key to victory, and we showed that today.

"This is a dream come true. This is beautiful. To see my Puerto Rican fans here, this is amazing. I could never dream of anything better than this.”

The Almighty Bruce

Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington captured the WBC interim featherweight world title with a lopsided unanimous decision (119-109 2x and 120-108) against Namibian contender Mateus Heita.

Carrington (16-0, 9 KOs) used various tools to control the action, mixing footwork, counters, and combinations. Heita (14-1, 9 KOs) proved slippery and durable, especially in the early rounds, as he withstood Carrington’s biggest shots whenever he could pierce his guard.

The 28-year-old Brooklyn native maintained control down the stretch, picking and choosing his power shots.

Carrington said, "I wanted to show that I can go the full 12 rounds. I showed that championship level through those 12 rounds. I feel good. I feel in shape. I feel sharp and ready for that next level.

"I’m ready. I’ve been calling out all the champions. They already know. I see {Rafael} Espinoza in the crowd. I want to fight him. I want to fight Nick Ball. I want to fight Stephen Fulton.”

El General Shines in NYC Debut

Emiliano Fernando Vargas (15-0, 13 KOs) wanted to show out in his New York City Debut, and he needed less than a minute to do it.

The 21-year-old junior welterweight phenom blitzed Ecuador’s Alexander Espinoza (20-4-1, 9 KOs) via first-round knockout.

Vargas measured Espinoza’s jab, slipped to avoid it, and returned with a sharp right hand to the chin. Espinoza hit the floor, and the referee waved it off at 42 seconds.

Vargas said, “I’m just a Mexican kid trying to make it to the top. Twenty-six years ago, my father fought here, and history repeats itself. If I could be half as great as my father was, I’ll make it a long way.

“Alexander Espinoza is the most experienced fighter I’ve ever fought. I was ready for 15 rounds tonight. It’s a blessing that I got to do it so quick. They don’t pay me for overtime, though. I had to get it done fast. Like I said, I’m ready for top, elite competition. My skills are going to show through.”

Welterweight: Rohan Polanco (17-0, 10 KOs) cruised to a 10-round unanimous decision against Quinton Randall (15-3-1, 3 KOs). Polanco was aggressive, but Randall’s veteran tactics made it hard to catch. By the middle rounds, Polanco landed by stepping in and punching around Randall’s gloves, but he could not gain enough offensive momentum to stop him. Scores: 100-90, 99-91, and 97-93.

Junior Bantamweight: Second-generation Puerto Rican star Juanmita Lopez De Jesus (3-0, 2 KOs) registered a second-round TKO over countryman Jorge Gonzalez-Sanchez (5-3, 4 KOs). Juanmita scored two knockdowns in the opening stanza and forced a stoppage at 1:14 of the following round.

Featherweight: Dominican contender Yan Santana (15-0, 12 KOs) shut out former world title challenger Aaron Alameda (30-3, 17 KOs) over 10 rounds to capture the NABO title. Santana easily controlled range from a shoulder roll stance, popping Alameda with counters nearly every time he tried to mount an offense. Santana landed frequently, but Alameda's chin withstood the punishment. Scores: 100-90 3x.

Junior Bantamweight: Steven Navarro (7-0, 5 KOs) prevailed over Cristopher Rios (11-3, 7 KOs) via eight-round unanimous decision in a battle between Southern California natives. Navarro used lateral movement and short punches to stifle Rios' nonstop pressure, absorbing a steady flow of body punches. He won the eighth round on the judges' cards to secure the win. Scores: 77-75 3x

Lightweight: Julius Ballo (1-0), a former U.S. amateur standout from San Diego, debuted in the paid ranks with a four-round unanimous decision against Brandan Ayala (2-1, 1 KO). Scores: 40-36 3x.