Xander Zayas blanks Damian Sosa in impressive decision win

Xander Zayas delivered a dominant unanimous decision victory over Damian Sosa on Friday at The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City.

All three judges scored the bout 100-90 in favor of Zayas.

Zayas, 22, from San Juan, Puerto Rico, took control from the opening round. Sosa, 27, of Tijuana, Mexico, usually known for his pressure-fighting style, surprisingly fought off his back foot. Zayas (20-0, 12 KOs), returning to the same venue where he headlined earlier this year, dictated the pace with sharp, clean punches. By the second round, Zayas’ accuracy and willingness to exchange were on full display, slowing Sosa’s attack.

Sosa (25-3, 12 KOs) tried to mount more offense in the third round, but Zayas was precise with his left hook, and he continued to land clean shots while Sosa pushed forward sporadically. The fourth round saw Zayas turn the fight into a showcase of his technical skills, leaving Sosa struggling to land anything significant as he remained on the defensive.

In the fifth, Zayas’ dominance continued. While Sosa had minor success toward the end of the round, it wasn’t enough to alter the momentum. By the sixth, Zayas targeted Sosa’s body, landing powerful shots that energized the New York crowd, which cheered as the blows landed.

Sosa, coming off a win against prospect Marques Valle in his previous fight, found himself outclassed, as Zayas remained one step ahead. By the eighth round, Zayas was fully in control, with Sosa offering little more than his trademark toughness. Zayas continued to outwork Sosa, landing eye-catching combinations that highlighted his offensive variety.

In the final rounds, Zayas made what was billed as a tough test look like a tune-up, outclassing Sosa and leaving no doubt about who was the better fighter on this evening.

Zayas now faces the question of what’s next. He has surpassed the prospect phase, but the junior middleweight division is stacked with talent (Vergil Ortiz Jr., Tim Tszyu and now Terence Crawford, for starters). Zayas will likely aim for higher-level opposition in the coming year as he inches closer to a world title opportunity.

Notably, four of Zayas’ past six wins, dating back to December 2022, have come via unanimous decision, showing his ability to consistently control fights at a high level.

Lucas Ketelle is a proud member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and author of “Inside The Ropes of Boxing” (available on Amazon). Contact him on X @LukieBoxing.