A Question Of Class? Zayas’s Aggressive Face-Off Bid, Fundora’s Response

Xander Xayas was bent out of shape when his attempts at hijacking WBC and WBO junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora to get a face-off with him moments after his win over Chordale Booker (23-2, 11 KOs) were declined on Saturday night at the Michelob Ultra Arena in Las Vegas.

(Credit: Ryan Hafey/Premier Boxing Champions)

Classless Move

That was a wrong-headed move on Xander’s part to try and initiate a face-off before Fundora and his team have even signed a contract for a fight against him. It’s presumptuous and classless to pull a move like that.

Zayas (21-0, 13 KOs) is the WBO 154-lb mandatory for Fundora’s belt with that organization. The WBO’s president said this week that the winner of the Fundora-Booker fight would have 120 days to defend against Zayas.

Fundora’s promoter, Sampson Lewkowicz, says he’ll meet with the team to discuss options for their next fight. Zayas, 22, says Fundora (22-1-1, 14 KOs) has no choice but to fight him next. If he doesn’t, he has to vacate, or he’ll be stripped.

Either way, Zayas will fight for the WBO belt. If it’s vacated, he’ll fight the highest-ranked contender, which would be #2 Charles Conwell. That would be a big step up in class for Xander, who has been fighting middle-of-the-road opposition his entire six-year career.

Top Rank might not be happy seeing Zayas thrown into the ring with a killer like Conwell because he’s so much better than any of the fighters the Puerto Rican fighter has fought. They might choose to veto the idea of Zayas fighting for the WBO belt if he has to go through Conwell to win it. That’s a bad match-up for a prospect like Zayas.

Zayas’ Best wins

– Slawa Spomer
– Patrick Teixeira
– Damian Sosa
– Roberto Valenzuela Jr.

The only recognizable name that Xander has fought is Teixeira, a 34-year-old who had a 3-3 record going into his fight with him. Zayas didn’t even look good in that fight.

Zayas’ Claims

“There’s a lot of things I can take advantage of,” said Xander Zayas to Fight Hub TV when asked how he can beat WBC and WBO junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora if he gets the fight against him next. “There’s two guys we’re going to bring in for camp that are similar to his style, his height, and boxing style. So, I know I’m going to be prepared for that night.

“I feel like I’m next. If I’m not next, he [Fundora] has to vacate that title. If he wants to do that, it’s up to him, but I’m the next guy. I’m going to fight for the title anyway, but hopefully, I can get my hands on the champion.”

Depending on what Fundora does, Xander could be next. If he’s not, he needs to get some experience against a world-class-level opponent to prepare himself to fight for a title. If the novice Zayas doesn’t want to fight Conwell, he can face Erickson Lubin. He’d be a good option to get some experience.

Mexican vs. Puerto Rican?

“It would make the most sense, but it would be a quick turnaround for him. I don’t know if he’s going to be willing to do that [fight on the Puerto Rican Day parade weekend on June 8th in New York City]. Definitely the summer. That’s what I’m aiming for. That’s what I’m envisioning to get that fight going.

“I’m very confident that the fight will happen. I feel like both teams want this fight to happen. It’s going to be Mexico vs. Puerto Rico [note: Fundora is half Mexican and half Cuban]. The fans are going to love it. So, I feel it’s a fight that must happen. If it doesn’t happen, I’ll be fighting for the vacant title. Whoever that guy is, it doesn’t matter. [#2 WBO is Charles Conwell, a very dangerous fighter]. My mind right now is on Fundora.”