Xander Zayas vs Abass Baraou weigh-in results, running order of fights, ringwalks, betting odds, quotes
TOMORROW at 6:30pm ET/3:30pm/11:30pm BST PT LIVE on Top Rank Classics FAST Channel
Puerto Rican superstar Xander Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) has waited almost six years for a homecoming. He returns to Puerto Rico as a world champion on the cusp of making history.
WBO junior middleweight world champion Zayas will square off against WBA king Abass Baraou (17-1, 9 KOs) this Saturday, January 31, at Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan.In just the second unification ever held on Puerto Rican soil, the 23-year-old has the chance to become the youngest active unified champion and the first Boricua to do it on home turf. Unifications of that size travel well beyond Puerto Rico, and UK readers following an 11:30pm start tend to do it on a phone, alongside the mobile bookmakers pricing the card.
German boxer Baraou, a seasoned road warrior, is looking to upset all of that.
Official weigh-in results below.
Top Rank Classics FAST Channel 6:30pm ET / 3:30pm / 11:30pm BST
Xander Zayas 153.5 lbs vs Abass Baraou 153.5 lbs
12×3 WBO/WBA Junior Middleweight World Title Unification
Referee: Roberto Ramirez Jr.
Judges: Oliver Brien, Patrick Morley, Jose R. Torres
Juanmita Lopez De Jesus 114.8 lbs vs Conner Goade 113.9 lbs
6×3 Junior Bantamweight
Carlos De Leon Castro 129.7 lbs vs Diuhl Olguin 129.5 lbs
6×3 Junior Lightweight
Yadriel Caban 115 lbs vs Jeremis Hernandez-Torres 114.7 lbs
4×3 Junior Bantamweight
Euri Cedeno 159.7 lbs vs Etoundi Michel William 159.9 lbs
10×3 Middleweight
Giovani Santillan 153.9 lbs vs Courtney Pennington 153.5 lbs
10×3 Junior Middleweight
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Quotes
Xander Zayas: “This is what I have been working for since I was 5 years old. [18] years as a fighter, seven as a pro. I got a world title in my last fight at 23. I’m ready to become a unified world champion and to keep making history. This is the biggest moment of my life. I deserve to be here. I worked hard to be here. This is where I belong.
“I’m expecting the best version of Abass Baraou. I’m expecting something I haven’t seen before. We sparred almost two years ago. But he’s a champion now. And we both have grown and learned. We’ve also experienced different things. So, I’m expecting the best version of him because he’s going to get the best version of me. That’s for sure.
“This is the only fight [this weekend] where you’ll have two world titles on the line. It’s the only fight where you’ll see two champions putting everything on the line to become a unified champion. Tune in because there will be fireworks, and I’m going to make history one more time.”
Abass Baraou: “I go everywhere to make my dreams come true. I’ve been doing the work for a long time. Being here is amazing. And I can’t wait for Saturday night.
“Winning the title was amazing. It was one of my favorite moments so far. I worked so hard for this moment. It was hard to get there. As you can tell, my team was happy as well. And securing that win opened up bigger opportunities, like Saturday’s fight. So I really enjoyed that moment.
“Everyone knows we sparred. But I don’t put too much focus on it. I spar to learn. When we sparred, it was always good work. But a fight is different. Gloves are different. No headgear. It’s just me and him in the ring with no helping hand. It’s going to be way different than any sparring. I’m focused on this fight, and I’m looking forward to it.
“I’m an experienced fighter. I have a great amateur background. And I’ve come to Puerto Rico to put it all on the line. We know that Zayas is fast and talented. So, as a boxing fan myself, I feel this is a great fight to watch. Tune in to see how I pull this off.”
Betting Odds
1/4 Zayas
10/3 Baraou
16/1 Draw
