I was bullied badly as a kid, now I’m a boxing world champion on the verge of making history

Xander Zayas was once a victim of bullying; now he is the WBO super welterweight champion of the world.

Hailing from the mean streets of San Juan, Puerto Rico, life wasn’t easy for Zayas growing up.

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“I was being bullied a lot in my neighbourhood,” Zayas told talkSPORT.com.

“They were bigger kids than me, so they didn’t allow me to have fun in the parks like a regular kid.

“They would hit me, call me names and obviously, not wanting to get hurt, I used to stay home.

“So my mum put me in boxing when I was five years old to learn how to defend myself, and I fell in love with the sport.

“I actually never went back to those bullies and did anything to them.

“I think they just realised that I was more confident and I wasn’t afraid to go out anymore.”

Journey to the top

Zayas competed in his first amateur bout at six years old, and within five years, he was a five-time national champion.

At the age of 11, he moved to Sunrise, Florida, with his family in pursuit of a better life.

And while it was a culture shock at first, Zayas sought familiarity in the ring as he enrolled at Javiel Centeno’s Sweatbox Boxing gym in Davie – a facility he still calls home to this day.

With Centeno at the helm, Zayas won the 2017 and 2018 U.S. National Championships, but rather than pursuing a place at the Olympics, the youngster decided to turn professional at just 16 years old.

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At the time, there were doubts surrounding boxing’s inclusion at the 2024 Summer Games due to long-standing governance issues, while a new age requirement of 19 for US Olympians ruled Zayas out of contention for a spot at Tokyo 2020.

That is when Top Rank came swooping in and snapped up Zayas on a long-term professional deal.

In doing so, Zayas became the youngest signing in the company’s 53-year history, a record that still stands to this day.

The precocious talent continued to defy his tender age in the paid ranks as he tore through his early competition en route to landing a vacant WBO super welterweight title shot against Jorge Garcia.

His Mexican adversary took the fight to Zayas, but the Puerto Rican puncher showed maturity well beyond his years as he weathered the storm and outboxed Garcia to become the youngest active male world champion at 22.

Abdullah Mason has since overtaken Zayas, but on Saturday night, he has the opportunity to become the youngest unified champion in boxing today when he takes on newly-crowned WBA title holder Abass Baraou, where it all began in San Juan.

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“History follows me, it continues to look for me, and I’m here for it,” Zayas remarked.

“I was the youngest champion at one point in life. I’m going to be the youngest unified champion, and no one can take that away from me.

“There is nobody who can keep up with me, just my shadow.”

Sparring partners to foes

Zayas and Baraou are very familiar with each other, having sparred multiple times over the years.

Baraou was drafted into Zayas’ camp for bouts with Jorge Fortea and Damian Sosa.

And while it has been a big talking point in the press during the build-up, Zayas remained coy on the topic.

“Let’s just say it was good sparring,” he added. “I don’t want to be disrespectful to Baraou.

“They were good sparring sessions. He’s a great champion, he works hard, and he is dedicated.

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“I know he is going to bring his best on January 31, so I cannot overlook him. I’m expecting the best version of Abass Baraou.

“It doesn’t matter what happened in sparring, or what happened before, on January 31, I have to be locked in and do what I do.”

Pre-fight nightmares

That humble mindset carries over into Zayas’ pre-fight visualisation.

Asked what he sees when he closes his eyes, Zayas admitted: “I always get nightmares.

“This is my way of recognising I’m doing everything well.

“I feel like the day that I close my eyes and I’m winning the fight, I’m in trouble.

“The nightmare is me trying to throw a punch, and I can’t throw it, and my opponent is hitting me with everything they throw.

“That’s my normal visualisation. I know when that happens, it is going to come together on fight night.”

Tune in on Saturday night to find out if Zayas’ homecoming fight is more of a dream than a nightmare. US fans can catch the full card on the Top Rank Classics channel on Tubi, while UK supporters have access via the Top Rank Facebook page. The main event is expected to take place around 11pm AST (3am UK time).