Xander Zayas: “New York City feels like home!”
Puerto Rican junior middleweight sensation Xander Zayas is ready for his sixth New York City appearance.
Zayas will take on Mexico’s Damian Sosa in a 10-rounder on Friday, September 27, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.
Zayas-Sosa will be the co-feature to the WBO welterweight title clash between reigning champ Sandy Ryan (7-1-1, 3 KOs) and former unified junior lightweight queen Mikaela Mayer (19-2, 5 KOs).
Brooklyn-born featherweight Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (12-0, 8 KOs) will open the ESPN-televised tripleheader in a 10-rounder versus Sulaiman Segawa (17-4-1, 6 KOs).
Ryan-Mayer, Zayas-Sosa, and Carrington-Segawa will be broadcast LIVE on ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ at 10:30 p.m. ET/7:30 p.m. PT.
Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Matchroom Boxing, tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster.com.
Zayas (19-0, 12 KOs) signed with Top Rank at 16 in 2019 and has since become a major New York City attraction. He has captured two regional straps and has accumulated a perfect 5-0 record when fighting at Madison Square Garden venues.
In June, he made his main event debut at The Theater, defeating former world champion Patrick Teixeira over 10 dominant rounds.
Sosa (25-2, 12 KOs) from Tijuana, Mexico, returns after vanquishing unbeaten prospect Marques Valle via split decision in April.
Following a recent training session in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this is what Zayas had to say:
“Damian Sosa is a Mexican warrior who brings that work ethic, hunger, and drive to snatch this win from me. He’s coming off a solid victory in his last fight against another Puerto Rican. I know he’ll come well-prepared, and that’s exactly what we want. We want the best version of Damian Sosa that night, and I think we’ll get it.
“We are adjusting for a fighter who applies a lot of pressure and throws lots of punches. It’s all about being smart, sticking to the game plan, and listening to my corner.
“Right now, we’re focusing more on conditioning, being at 100 percent at all times, and not losing focus at any point during the fight. We’re also working on being ready to fight on the inside when I need to and boxing on the outside when it’s time to box.
“It’s exciting to be heading back to New York. Every time, I can feel more of the love and support from the people who want to see me in the city that never sleeps. It’s something special.”