Xander Zayas W10 Patrick Teixeira...  On the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City, San Juan's Xander Zayas, 153.4 lbs., of San Juan, battled former WBO champion Patrick Teixeira, 153.4 lbs., of Sombrio, Brazil, in his first main event, held at the Theater at Madison Square Garden. Taking on his toughest test to date, Zayas easily outpointed Teixeira over ten frames en route to a unanimous decision. Zayas wore down his adversary round by round, landing flush hooks upstairs and stinging body shots. Teixeira, a crafty southpaw, was capable of landing the occasional counter shot and did his best to trade with Zayas but did not possess the firepower to keep him off. In round eight, Teixeira withstood an extended attack, catching several flush shots, but survived to hear the bell. In the ninth, Teixeira looked to survive and regroup, as Zayas continued to press forward landing heavy leather, bloodying his foe’s left eye. Two judges tallied 100-90, with one card at 99-91, all in favor of Zayas, now 19-0 (12 KOs). Embarking on his boxing journey at age six, Zayas competed in over 130 amateur bouts over a 12-year period, winning 11 National championships, before turning pro in 2019. Teixeira is now 34-5 (25 KOs).

 

Afterwards, Zayas said, “Thank you to all my people in Puerto Rico. Since I was five years old, I dreamed about this. It’s happening, thanks to you guys, and I want to thank you for everything you do for me. He was tough. He knew how to survive in there. It was sometimes difficult to find the body, but with the experience, he hid it. I tried to land the hook, and he was ducking underneath. I feel like it was a tough test, but I passed it with flying colors.”