Xander Zayas wants to go down as a legend of the sport when his boxing career is done.
The young Puerto Rican star turned pro with promotional powerhouse Top Rank when he was only 16 years old. He’s long been marked for greatness and at the age of 22 will fight for his first world title this weekend.
He’s been hailed as the heir to Miguel Cotto and other legendary names in the sport.
“That’s what I want, that’s what I dream about, that’s why I do it. I want to be one of the greatest to ever do it but at the end of the day I have to continue to do my part. I’ll let the public and the fans do their part and rate me however they want to rate me,” Zayas told Sky Sports.
“I love being named with legends like Miguel Cotto,” he continued. “Other Puerto Rican legends, I love being mentioned around them. But being honest I want to be Xander Zayas.
“I want people to recognise my effort and recognise what I do for who I am.”
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Highlights of Xander Zayas’ victory over Patrick Teixeira by unanimous decision at Madison Square Garden in New York
On Saturday night he will box Jorge Garcia Perez at Madison Square Garden Theater in New York for the vacant WBO super-welterweight world title.
“Fighting for my first world title at MSG, I mean it’s a dream come true,” Zayas said. “It gets me a whole different level, elite level, and there’s no running from me anymore.
“All eyes have been on me since I was 16 years old and I signed my professional contract. There’s no more pressure added. I have to keep going, I have to continue to do what I do best and keep winning fights.
“This is the fight that elevates me from the kid into the man.”
With Zayas the WBO No 1, Garcia Perez their No 2 and England’s Josh Kelly ranked at No 3, the Puerto Rican can envisage making a title defence against the Briton if he is victorious.
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Zayas stopped Elias Espadas in the fifth round after his second knockdown at the Resorts World Events Center in Las Vegas
“We’ve seen some fights and clips of Josh Kelly. Good fighter. Somebody that I think I’d beat and it’s a fight that would be really good to sell here in the US and back at his home in the UK. It could be an amazing fight,” Zayas said.
“If he decides to stay the course with the WBO and I become a world champion and then we make that happen, I feel like it’s a good fight to make happen and I feel like I will beat him.
“I feel like every name in those two divisions I can beat,” he added. “In my heart and in mind there’s nobody better than me when they step in the ring. There’s nobody working harder than me, there’s nobody that has the same ambition, athleticism, work ethic, none of these guys have it. I’m not scared of anybody in 160lbs, 154lbs or 147lbs.
“I’m going to show the world I’m one of the best and why I say I’m one of the best at 154lbs.”
