Junior middleweight contender Xander Zayas will be looking to put another impressive performance when he returns to the ring on June 10.
On the eve of the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York City, Zayas will face Ronald “Diablo” Cruz at The Theater in Madison Square Garden. The event will be headlined by the junior welterweight clash between Josh Taylor and Teofimo López.
Zayas (15-0, 10 KO) hopes that his upcoming fighter will get him one step closer to a world title opportunity.
He would like to position himself in a world title eliminator by the end of the year, and then target a world title opportunity during 2024.
Before Zayas can think about titles, the younger fighter is not overlooking his upcoming task.
“[Cruz] is a very experienced opponent, a veteran. He’s going to be motivated. [The fight] couldn’t happen on April 1, but I’m also arriving very motivated. Everything is already done. The conditioning is there, the weight is there. We are comfortable, pushing ourselves every day to improve. Everything is going in my favor: the youth, the public, my family will be present. I hope that he comes with a lot of desire,” Zayas told George Ebro.
“If we are given that eliminator fight at the end of this year, I would say that by mid-2024 we would be in the world title conversation. We will see how the division unfolds. [Jermel] Charlo has all the titles, whether he stays [at 154] or he goes. But 2024 would be perfect to crown me champion. On June 10 I want to erase that image of a child and become a man, because we are already number five in the WBO, we are nine in the WBA, we are 15 in the WBC. We are ranked. Now it is a matter of time before [Top Rank] continues to do its job and I do mine, letting everyone know that no one is at my level, that no one can beat me. I’m going to be crowned champion.”