Xander Zayas Wbo title Defense Strategy: Why Josh Kelly is the December scheduled rival

Fans predict that Xander Zayas will make his first defense of his WBC Junior Middleweight title against number 3 Josh Kelly in December in Puerto Rico. It is a struggle that fits the Top Rank’s protective approach to Zayas’s career.

Kelly Matchup was expected

Josh Kelly (17-1-1, 9 kos) is not a threat to beat Xander compared to the fighters he mentioned last Saturday after his victory over Jorge Garcia. The British fighter, Kelly, has won her last seven fights against the domestic opposition since she was eliminated by David Avanayan in 2021. Kelly showed that she had not improved much for the previous four years when she approached Ismael Davis last September.

Zayas (22-0, 13 kos) expressed interest in fighting the WBC champion, Sebastian Fundora, the IBF Bakhram Murtazaliev champion and the temporary champion of the WBC Vergil Ortiz Jr. They are all fights that Zayas probably would lose badly.

Fundora is the one that Zayas spoke about wanting to fight more. Does not enter the probable mile plan of titles that will have the higher rank for Xander. They built it in the same way they did with Edgar Berlanga, coinciding with the cans. Is essentially Berlanga 2.0 With the way it happened to match it. It is as vulnerable as Edgar. The only difference is that Zayas is really from Puerto Rico. Is not putting.

Needed astronomical offer

#4 Wbo Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is a fighter that fans would like to see Zayas fight, but this has no chance of passing without his promoter, Eddie Hearn, making an astronomical offer. It should be an unreal number, probably in the range of $ 10 million, because the upper rank would not make a struggle knowing that Zayas would lose.

However, they would not reject such a crazy offer. This money that Xander will never see in his career without maintaining his Wbo title for many years. This would be impossible, given its limited capacity.

If Turki Alshikh went through Hearn, he could get the money to set a fight between Zayas and Ennis for one of his events in the Riyadh season. However, the upper rank could drag your feet, flying Keep Zayas Protected Tor continue to build a record against smaller opposition. So far they have done a great job with Zayas, as they guided him to a world title without him fighting solid fighters.