Top Rank contender Xander Zayas is an ideal future opponent for rising super welterweight star Callum Walsh.
That's according to 360 Promotions boss Tom Loeffler, who represents Walsh. He told ProBox TV during a recent interview at the Wildcard Boxing Club in Hollywood that the fighters, who are similar in age could sell-out Madison Square Garden in New York City should they both continue to develop their respective skillsets.
Walsh, Loeffler told us, is built in a similar vein to Manny Pacquiao as he's an aggressive-minded southpaw, and trained by Pacman's old coach Freddie Roach.
Top Rank picked up Zayas when the boxer was just 16 years old, and had to get special permission from the Nevada State Athletic Commission to oversee his pro debut aged 17.
Since then, Puerto Rican boxer Zayas has been developed so well that he's picked up Prospect of the Year awards and is rigthfully regarded as a future player in the simmering hot super welterweight division.
Like Zayas, Walsh could well be one of the boxers poised to win a world championship should he maintain his winning ways at 154 pounds.
"It’s a great division with so many great fighters," Loeffler told ProBox TV when we asked him about the current landscape of a division that is home to Jermell Charlo, and could see athletes like Terence Crawford and Errol Spence Jr. in the coming year.
"A great fight looking down the road at Madison Square Garden is Xander Zayas," said Loeffler. "It would be a fight between a Puerto Rican and an Irish fighter, both of whom are young guys as Xander is 21 and Callum is 22."
Loeffler has previously worked with big-name fighters like the Klitschko brothers and Gennadiy Golovkin. He told us a key difference between the way in which he built Triple G, to what he can do with Walsh, is time.
"Triple G was 30 years old when I started working with him so we didn’t have a lot of time. We had to get those Canelo fights in as soon as possible on HBO PPV.
"With Callum, we’re strategically planning his career with the fights that make sense for him. Xander is one of those guys [who makes sense] but first Callum has to win his fight against Israel Villarreal on November 11, and continue to build his career. A fight with Xander would be huge."
Villarreal is no walkover and will provide a stern test for Walsh, according to Loeffler.
But it's one Walsh, and those around him, expect him to pass so that he can continue to climb the world rankings.
When UFC boss Dana White spoke to ProBox TV about Walsh in recent months, he marveled at Loeffler's matchmaking, and praised Walsh for his fight-finishing capabilities. He even told us he wouldn't be surprised to see Walsh compete for a title in the coming year.
Regarding options at super welterweight, Loeffler said: "Sebastian Fundora is there, Serhii Bohachuk, and all those other guys, Jermell Charlo, Tim Tszyu looks great … it will be a hot division with Errol Spence coming up from 147.
"But Callum, his fans, the support of Dana, and with UFC and TKO backing, the sky is the limit for him.
"He will be one of the biggest names in that division and can dictate some of the terms. It’s what we did with Triple G, working with all promoters. And that’s how I’m built. It’s not about having both fighters under contract. It’s about the best fights for the fans."
Fans can see Walsh's return to the ring Thursday on UFC Fight Pass.
