Junior middleweight sensation Xander Zayas is eagerly preparing for his first ten-round match of his career. The bout which is set to showcase his skills on September 15 in Corpus Christi, Texas, Zayas will see him face veteran Mexico's Roberto Valenzuela Jr. It will also reignite on a smaller scale the Mexico versus Puerto Rico rivalry possibly that has put forth great match-ups in the past.
The headlining bout will be an IBF featherweight world title fight between current champion Luis Alberto “El Venado” Lopez facing Joet Gonzalez.
Zayas (16-0, 10 KOs) who trains in Florida, is eager to emerge as the face of Puerto Rican boxing. Zayas who signed with Top Rank at the age of 16 is still undefeated and eager to land 'a big fight' in 2024. With big wins in 2022 over Quincy LaVallais, Alexis Salazar, and Elias Espadas, Zayas is no longer simply a prospect, he is trending towards being a contender. His victory over Ronald Cruz on Puerto Rican Day Parade weekend in June furthered the hopes that Zayas is a star in the making.
Valenzuela, a 24-year-old Mexican fighter, is an all-action fighter who is coming off a third-round TKO victory against Daniel Vega in April. He has had a full training camp and is eager to upset the young fighter, in what appears to be a fight that most will be watching closely
