Xander Zayas has grown a little used to this by now. The junior middleweight is 21 going on 41, in boxing years that is. He carries a wisdom and talent beyond his age, and this year, he wants to show it.

On Saturday night, Zayas (18-0, 12 knockouts) will take on former title challenger Patrick Teixeira (34-4, 25 KOs) in a 10-round bout at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in Top Rank’s show on ESPN.

Teixeira is on a three-fight winning streak and will be fighting for his relevance. He is the most experienced fighter Zayas has faced.

“He is trying to get back into the big names of boxing, and I know he is coming to prove a point,” Zayas said about Teixeira. “He has nothing to lose. I feel like this is a very intriguing fight, which will force me to be sharp every second of every single round. I have to be patient and break him down, not go in there and feed off the excitement from the crowd. I have to be sharp and smart.”

Zayas has steadily grown to contender status.

“I don’t think I am even 40-percent of what I want to be and what I know I will become,” he said. “Each fight, I am getting there. I beat my last few opponents, and they were contenders. I am loading up. I know when I need to be who I can be, it will come at the right time. I do no turn 22 until September. I have time. This is the first time I will be getting in the ring in 2024, and hopefully the first time of three times I will be in the ring this year.”

Zayas said the tricky part will be reading Teixeira’s hands. The younger fighter admits how smart Teixeira is, and how he will try to persuade him to make mistakes.

Teixeira is 33 and has been in his share of wars. Over his last six fights, he is 3-3. He fought just once last year, stopping Carlos Rivero in two.

“He is someone who throws a lot of punches, so I have to get his timing down and start punching him between those combinations,” Zayas said. “My focus is Teixeira. What comes later I will concern myself with later. I am living the dream right now. This is the first time I will be headlining a main event.

“I think right now, I have to work on my defense and setting my attack more, using my angles better. I feel I am a lot better than I was a year ago. Every time in, I get better. You can only get the experience in the ring. The more you fight, the better you get. I have learned that. I did not understand that before.”

His reflective instincts are surfacing.

“I don’t have to remind myself to pump the jab, or tell myself to be defensively responsive, that comes with experience and making the adjustments that I have,” Zayas said. “I am a lot smoother than I have been. My head movement is a lot better, and that comes with pushing myself and adjusting. I do not have to think anymore, I know now and react. Everything is the same. I am living the dream.”

Joseph Santoliquito is a Hall of Fame, award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Magazine/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Association of America.
Follow @JSantoliquito

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