Speaker 1: Well, it is my great pleasure to welcome back to
our podcast.
Speaker 2: This week it is Xander Zias.
Speaker 1: Xander, We've done this before, but this one's a little
bit different. We'll tell the folks we've talked about your
fights before, but this time you're getting ready for I
think we can agree with your biggest fight of your
career so far. You'll be taking on for Hey Garcia
for the vacant WBO Junior Middleweight world title. It will
take place July twenty sixth, headlining the ESPN top ranked
card at the Madison Square Guarded Theater, a place you're
very familiar with. So tell me just first off, again,
you've been doing interviews getting ready for this fight. It's
a little bit different, isn't it as you think about
what might be in store for you.
Speaker 2: On that night.
Speaker 3: Yeah, yeah, so if you I mean, it is a
bit different because obviously, like you said, is the biggest
fight of my career, fighting for a world title, something
that I've been working for since I'm literally five years old,
since I've started boxing. You know, that's the dream of
every fighter to become a world champion, and I have
my opportunity on July twenty six But in the other sense,
it's for me, it's just another fight, another night at
the garden. I've been there before. There's going to be
my eighth time, so nothing new. I got to go
in there, do my job, say focus, maybe a judgments,
and then come out victorious.
Speaker 1: Well, when you signed with Top Rank, and I remember
being at the press conference, you were sixteen years old.
They were like, look, he's sixteen, but he's not even
going to turn professional until he's seventeen. You've done your part,
your team has done its part. Top Rank has done
its part. You're now twenty two years old. You're undefeated,
You've looked good, You've climbed up the ladder, You've fought
who you have to fight, You've got all kinds of
experience now and now here we are five years later,
you're getting ready to fight for a Germandawait world title.
So and then doing it a place like the Madison
Square Garden Theater that I know is important to you.
If I said to you on that day at the
press conference at age sixteen, hey, five years from now,
you're fighting for the world title at the Madison Square
Garden Theater. You're undefeated and you're headlining, you know, a
big card. How would you have reacted? What would you
have said?
Speaker 3: Well, maybe if you put it that way five years ago,
I would have said, yes, I will be fighting for
a world champion in five years, but probably not at
Madison Square Garden. You know, never thought it was going
to be in at the theater or you know, with
the circumstances that are happening, you know.
Speaker 2: Headlining the last card on ESPN.
Speaker 3: You know, a lot of things are happening that maybe
I didn't expect five years ago. But I knew that
if I stayed the course and if I stay focused,
I was going to be fighting for a world tider
sooner than later.
Speaker 1: So I remember, Xander, in one of our previous interviews,
we did it and you sat in front of a
looked like a bookshelf and you had your regional titles
stack and we kind of chatted a little bit about that,
and you mentioned to me, you know these are important
to me. I've worked for them. There they are a
way to tell me that I'm making my way up
the ladder, but I want the big boy belts. Yes,
now you're one fight from winning and getting the Big
Boy Belt or one of the big Boy belts. How
does that feel knowing that you can now have that
if you win to put in that beautiful bookshelf for
those other nice title belts.
Speaker 2: No, it feels amazing.
Speaker 3: And right now the background is not the same because
I'm in my camp house for the first time in
my career. I moved to to a camp house, so
I got the nutritionist, all the sparring partners here, so
we all.
Speaker 2: Living together for this camp. But yes, really exciting.
Speaker 3: Like I told you before, something that I've worked for
my whole life.
Speaker 2: You know before the world titles is the regional belts.
I got those. Now I have to.
Speaker 3: Add the big boy belts like you said, and then
the WBO is the first one.
Speaker 2: So really exciting.
Speaker 3: And just happy to be to be in this place,
in this position at twenty two years old.
Speaker 1: Well, let's talk a little about your opponent for Hey Garcia.
He is thirty three four thirty three and four with
twenty six knockouts. He has won eight fights in a row.
He's coming off by far and away, the biggest win
of his career. He scored that split decision victory in
a really good performance. He deserved that split decision. At
least in my estimation against the unbeating the Olympian United
States olymp Charles Conwell, Uh, you know, to put him
in the position within the WBO ratings, and I wonder, like,
how do you approach him. He's on a hot streak,
he's got confidence off that victory Xaner. He's got more
knockouts twenty six than you have professional fights, which is
twenty one. H he seems like he's got momentum and
a lot going for him the same way that you do.
Speaker 2: No, I'm obviously exciting.
Speaker 3: He like you said, he did serviced his his victory
against Cornwall, he did service shot out of world title.
And it's crazy because a year ago we were sitting
down looking at the rankings and my dad we have
a conversation that I think I have to say I
have to look for it. But he sent me a
screenshot and I think I was number eight and Horygard
ship Preys was like either nine or or or eleven
or something like that. And he told me this is
who you're going to be fighting for the world title.
And I'm like, there's no way, like this kid, like,
how is it going to be possible? I mean, at
that time, I think Tim Zu is still the WO
champ and you know, a lot of things were happening,
so I didn't I didn't really realize what was going
on at the time, but my dad told me that.
And now that we sit back and we look at it,
it's like, look, I told you twenty twenty five, you
will be fighting for the world title against god Ship Press.
Speaker 2: He said. He actually said he was gonna be in
the Puerto Rican Prede. Obviously Puerto Rican Praide didn't.
Speaker 3: Happen, but same guy, same city, same place. So it's exciting.
You know, I've been, I've been. We've been watching him
and getting prepared for him because we knew at some
point we're going to be fighting him, either for the
world title for just another fight.
Speaker 1: Maybe your dad can give me the lottery numbers given
his willians there.
Speaker 2: That's what That's what I told him. How about you
give me the lottery numbers. Maybe you know we could
we could be rich before having to fight for the titles.
Speaker 1: Well, you might get a chance to be rich if
you keep on winning like uh yes, sir, boxers do.
Before this fight between yourself and Garcia was made Sebastian
Vandora was the WBO and the WBC champion. Uh, you
were his WBO mandatory challenger. You attended his fight earlier
this year in March, when he knocked out Cordel Booker.
You got in the ring with him, not in a
confrontational manner. Obviously you were allowed to be in there.
You guys took photos together. Both of you talked up
the prospect of fighting each other. You were the mandatory
was due. They ordered the fight top rank and his
people at PBC and TGB, your promotions, everybody was talking
about it. Sam Selukawis, They were trying to make the match.
I thought it was going to happen, and then suddenly
he swerves and ends up taking the rematch against him
Zo from their fight from when he when he won
the title against him and the vacant WBC title, And
I'm just wondering, like what that happened?
Speaker 2: There?
Speaker 1: Were you disappointed that then happen. I think a lot
of people were sort of really interested at that, and
then the Garcia if I just sort of materialized kind
of out of nowhere.
Speaker 2: No, for sure, it was.
Speaker 3: It was disappointing. It was frustrating. At the beginning, because
like you said, you know, I went to his fight.
I earned my spot as the as a number one
contender to to fight him. When there, we talked to
each other. It was it was supposed it was supposed
to be or it was supposed to happen. We we
had conversation. We went back and forth for a couple
of weeks. Then a couple of days before the negotiation
period was over, they called us and said, hey, this
is what we're gonna do. So obviously frustrated, I feel like,
you know, it's part of business, it's part of our boxing.
Maybe he had a better, better opportunity against Tim Zoo.
Speaker 2: I wanted to fight him.
Speaker 3: I wanted to to take both of his belts, but
I guess he didn't.
Speaker 2: He didn't want that. He didn't want to, He didn't
want to do that.
Speaker 3: He wanted to fight for for the w b C
and then and you know, take part on on another
rematch against Tim Zu which was a great fight the
first one. So can't be mad at him. I feel
like it's it's business and and done the future. It's
something that we can make happen.
Speaker 1: So you don't look at this as oh you know
he's ducking me or this, or that, you're realistic enough
to understand that the Zoo fight from the from the
financial perspective, probably even from the public interest perspective, it's
a little bit. It's bigger than him and you.
Speaker 2: I guess, no, for sure.
Speaker 3: For sure, I feel like, you know, you have to
be mature enough to understand that the business side of boxing,
and and I feel like I did that.
Speaker 2: Obviously, wasn't happy about it.
Speaker 3: I wanted to fight against the champion, but I know
that when it happens and if he comes out, Victorias
against him, Zoo and I have to talk about Victoria's
against jug Garcia Perez is going to be even bigger fight.
Speaker 1: We mentioned earlier about how you're going to be fighting
once again at the Madison Square Garden theater. This will
be your eighth fight at Madison Square Guarden, either in
the main arena or in the theater. It'll be your
fourth fight in a row in the theater. I mean,
you've really become sort of synonymous with that venue in
terms of their their boxing program. They've got a few
guys that fight there. But you know, Xander's Eyes is
a regular there. Tell me what it means to you
to be in a place like that. Obviously there's a
lot of Puerto Rican fans will be there for you.
That's why top rank puts you there in the first place,
because of the type of draw you can bring in.
What does that what does that building mean to you?
And how comfortable are you fighting there?
Speaker 3: Man, I'm really really comfortable fighting there. I feel like
now I don't even have to show ID. I just
walk in and they already know me. So so it's amazing.
It's amazing to be fighting again and in the Mecal Boxing,
a place that brings or has brought a lot of
legendary fights and a lot of gender legendary fighters to
to to become champions and fights there. So to be
able to fight for a world title at twenty two
years of age in the city that never sleeps, in
a venue with such historical moments in the sport, it
means it means the world to me.
Speaker 2: So I'm excited for for this one.
Speaker 1: Well, don't forget the idea. We don't need any snaff
foos on fight night, so make sure you got the
ID hand of your credential all that well, sir, The
other aspect of this fight, of course, we have to
discuss a little bit is as we've discussed, you are
a Puerto Rican fighter, your opponent, Jorgey Garcia, is from Mexico.
We all know that is one of the great rivalries
in boxing history, and I wonder from your perspective, how
significant is it to you to not only partake in
a fight in that rivalry, but to do so, you know,
in a main event, world championship fight, which is, you know,
in a lot of people's minds, the greatest rivalry in boxing.
Speaker 3: Yes, like you said, I feel like it is the
greatest rivalry in boxing. And to be able to take
part in one of those fights, a championship fight against
a good Mexican warrior, somebody that is gonna is gonna
come put pressure and gonna come try to take everything
away from me means a lot. Means the world to
me because you know, going back to you know, in
the history of boxing and watching all those wars between
Puerto Rico and Mexico's always exciting for all the fans,
and just to be able to be a part of
that part of history means the world to me.
Speaker 1: So if you win, you won't be the youngest Jimmy
middleweight champion in history. For Ando Vargas was twenty one
years old when he won the jum middleweight title. But
you'll be one of the youngest if you are victorious.
But you'll also join a list of great Puerto Rican
champions that have come before you. You know, some of
the legends of all time. You got you know, fighters
I've watched the millions of times, will Fredo Gomez and
Benitez and Tito Trinidad, Miguel Coto, i'vn Calderon, I mean,
Luis ORTIZI go on for like a week talking about
the greats that come from your island. When you think
about that, those names and the fact that obviously you're
not at their level, at least not yet, but that
you can join them as being a world champion, that's
that's like a really big deal. I think for anybody
that keeped in the Puerto Rican boxing culture.
Speaker 3: I get goose bumps. I get gouz bump just from
from thinking about it. Obviously something that I want to do.
I want to bring glorid to Puerto Rico. I want
to stat my name, you know, next to all those
great legends from Puerto Rico and be a world champion.
Speaker 2: I'm just make my people proud.
Speaker 3: And make my family, my team proud, and overall make
myself proud.
Speaker 1: Now, if you are victorious, and we've discussed a little
bit like Fondora you mentioned in Tim Zoo and others,
but you have a real year in a really good
weight class. Like I look at the champions besides yourself
and some of the other top contenders and guys with
interim belts. It's in my estimation, it's it's may not
have huge star power in terms of the names, but
there's a lot of guys that are really solid that
can beat probably anybody on any different in that division
I'm talking about. Besides Zoo and Fondora, you got Martaz
de Leev, tough as nails with the IBF title. There's
a Virgil Ortiz and Johannes Tayaz, they have interim titles.
Jeron Bhutsen has just announced that he's leaving welterweight to
move up and wait, there's Keith thurmanis still kicking around.
He had a good performance in his recent fight boa
Chuck Majimov. I mean Azuzramos ericson Lubin. You're Florida compatriot.
We could go on and not tell me about your
thoughts on the depth of your division, the fact if
you have a title, these are guys that are gonna
be hunting.
Speaker 2: You for sure.
Speaker 3: I feel like it's the hottest, the hoddest division in
boxing right now. He got great, great names in the division,
like you said, a lot of names that can't beat
anybody on any given night. But once I become a
world champion, there's snow escaping. Now there's snow. Oh, but
he hasn't done this. No, but he hasn't done that.
Speaker 2: Now they got to fight. Everybody's gonna get it.
Speaker 1: How is Louise arm Louise? How is Garcia gonna get
it in this fight?
Speaker 2: Man? Garcia is?
Speaker 3: I expect the best Garcia press to show up that night,
but he got to expect the signersiders that has done
everybody anybody has seen I mean something special.
Speaker 2: I'm going to put my name on the top of
the list.
Speaker 3: I'm going to show the world in the division why
I'm one of the best at one hundred and fifty
four pounds, and.
Speaker 2: They're going to see a next level type of fighter.
Speaker 1: Come to like twenty six I'm looking forward to seeing
the culmination, having followed your career from day one at
age sixteen at a press conference. Here we are five
years later as you get ready to fight for the
world titles. So Xander, I wish you luck, genuinely. I
appreciate your time, Dan, thank you.
Speaker 2: Very much for your time.
Speaker 3: Thank you once again for it for another interview, another
you know, great great uh again.
Speaker 2: Article uh an interview. So hopefully I'll see you in
New York.
Speaker 1: Appreciate that'saner.
Speaker 2: Good luck to you man, but thank you