Towards the top of the seventh spherical, a smile creased Xander Zayas’ face throughout his 10-round junior middleweight bout with Damian Sosa Friday night time at The Theater at Madison Sq. Backyard.
Xander Zayas systematically broke down Damian Sosa in a 10-round unanimous determination (Picture by Mikey Williams/High Rank)
Zayas knew what he was doing, and he was doing it effectively, going to the physique and breaking down Sosa on the Mikaela Mayer-Sandy Ryan undercard.
In what was his greatest efficiency as far as a professional, Zayas (20-0, 13 knockouts) chalked up the perfect win of his profession, with a 10-round unanimous determination over Sosa (25-3, 12 KOs).
Zayas received by 100-90 shutout scores from all three judges.
Zayas established his jab early on, mixing his ranges effectively, from the top to the physique. He progressively labored his means from a gradual jab, into working in mixtures and confirmed nice persistence in systematically breaking down Sosa.
He was defensively accountable, weaving underneath and stepping round Sosa assaults. He did every thing however cease the rugged Sosa.
Punch stats bear out Zayas’ dominance; He landed 148 of 336 whole punches thrown (44%), which included 74 physique connects to Sosa’s meager 42 whole connections out of 272 whole punches thrown (15%) and simply two physique connects.
Zayas landed double-digit connects in each spherical. His lowest output was the primary spherical, when he linked on 14 punches. In any other case, it was an all-out assault on veteran Sosa.
Coming into the combat, Sosa had thrown a mean of 84 punches a spherical.
Zayas’ protection and fixed stress rendered a really aggressive fighter amenable, continuously forcing Sosa to be on the defensive. He threw a mean of just about 30 punches a spherical per spherical lower than his traditional.
“I simply informed (Sosa) he pushed me and elevated me to the subsequent degree,” Zayas mentioned. “Now, I really feel like I’m prepared (for a title shot). Earlier than, I felt like I used to be prepared. Now, I let all people know I’m prepared for some names.
“They mentioned (Sosa) threw 84 punches per spherical. I didn’t see that at this time. I did my job. Now I’ve to be calm and loosen up and see what the corporate needs. I need whoever is within the prime 5.”
Preventing off his again foot, Zayas, 22, was regular on the outset, utilizing his jab to create openings. Sosa, 27, was unable to mount any offense, being backed up by the sooner, youthful opponent.
Zayas managed the vary and distance. Sosa allowed Zayas to set his toes and land mixtures. By the third, sensing he was rapidly dropping floor, Sosa tried coming ahead. His aggression was met by a Zayas’ left hook. Within the first minute of the third, Zayas modified ranges, touchdown a left to the physique and the top.
Sosa came upon as soon as he neared Zayas’ hanging zone, he would pay a value.
By the fifth, the combat grew right into a sample that Sosa couldn’t break. Zayas comported himself effectively, staying comfortably within the pocket, ducking underneath Sosa’s providing, and countering with left hooks and uppercuts.
Within the latter rounds, Zayas dished out extra of the identical.
The younger Puetro Rican says his time is now for a title shot.
He could also be proper.
Joseph Santoliquito is an award-winning sportswriter who has been working for Ring Journal/RingTV.com since October 1997 and is the president of the Boxing Writers Affiliation of America.
Observe @JSantoliquito [twitter.com]
