Ahead of their highly anticipated clash this Saturday, June 8th, at the Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City, Xander Zayas and Patrick Teixeira have both successfully made weight for their ten-round junior middleweight bout. Zayas, boasting an impressive record of 18 wins with 12 knockouts (18-0, 12 KOs), squares off against Teixeira, a seasoned fighter with 34 wins, 4 losses, and 25 knockouts (34-4, 25 KOs).
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum is keen on showcasing Zayas, 21, as a potential star in the New York boxing scene. This upcoming fight serves as a litmus test to gauge Zayas’ readiness to face stronger opponents moving forward.
In the chief support bout, featherweight Bruce Carrington (11-0, 7 KOs) will take on Brayan De Gracia in another ten-round contest. Arum sees Carrington as a promising talent and has matched him against De Gracia, known for his power, to assess Carrington’s performance against a formidable foe.
The main card, airing on ESPN at 11:00 p.m. ET/ 8:00 PT, features the weigh-ins at 153.4 pounds for both Xander Zayas and Patrick Teixeira, while Bruce Carrington weighed in at 125.4 pounds, as did Brayan De Gracia.
ALSO READ:Swiatek Ready to Face Paolini in Roland-Garros Women’s Final on TSN
The preliminary card, scheduled on ESPN+ at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT, includes matchups such as Tiger Johnson vs. Tarik Zaina, Andy Dominguez vs. Cristopher Rios, Jahi Tucker vs. Quincy LaVallais, Ofacio Falcon vs. Antonio Dunton El Jr., Ali Feliz vs. Lemir Isom-Riley, and Nisa Rodriguez vs. Jordanne Garcia.
Speaking about Zayas, Arum expressed optimism, stating, “Xander, everybody says, is the future of boxing in Puerto Rico. This is a showcase fight against an experienced, tough opponent [Teixeira]. If he is successful here, he’s got a great future in boxing, but an even bigger future here in New York at Madison Square Garden.”
Arum also praised Carrington, highlighting his charisma and fan-friendly appeal, predicting a bright future for the Brooklyn native in the sport.
A venerable sports journalist boasting two decades of expertise. Renowned as a reliable authority in sports reporting, Khan’s meticulous approach shines through as he delves into the intricacies of NFL plays, dissects NHL strategies, unravels the finesse of soccer, and deciphers the tactics of basketball. With an unwavering commitment to storytelling, Khan invites you to join him in exploring the dynamic world of athletics, where his nuanced understanding of athletes, strategies, and narratives unfolds across the NFL, NHL, Football, Soccer, Basketball, and beyond.
