This Saturday, July 26, boxing’s spotlight turns to The Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York City as undefeated Puerto Rican sensation Xander Zayas faces hard-charging Mexican contender Jorge Garcia for the vacant WBO junior middleweight world championship. The championship main event, which rekindles the storied Puerto Rico-Mexico rivalry, airs live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+.
Zayas (21-0, 13 KOs), just 22 years old and the WBO’s #1 contender, has climbed the professional ranks with blazing speed since turning pro at 17. Promoted by Top Rank, he arrives at his first world title opportunity after decision wins over Damian Sosa and former champ Patrick Teixeira, with a recent ninth-round stoppage of Slawa Spomer cementing his elite credentials.
On the opposite side stands Garcia (33-4, 26 KOs), a 28-year-old from Sinaloa who has powered into his first title shot after notching eight consecutive victories. Garcia, ranked #2 by the WBO, made headlines in April by upsetting previously undefeated U.S. Olympian Charles Conwell via split decision. Known for his punching power—boasting a 79% knockout rate—Garcia is viewed as a dangerous obstacle in Zayas’s quest for glory.
In the co-feature, Brooklyn’s undefeated Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) takes on Namibia’s unbeaten Mateus Heita (14-0, 9 KOs) for the WBC interim featherweight world title. Carrington enters as the top-ranked WBC and WBO featherweight, riding a year of knockout wins and dynamic performances. Heita, meanwhile, arrives with momentum of his own, having defended his WBO Africa title in April.
The action-packed card also showcases:
Emiliano Fernando Vargas vs. Alexander Espinoza (junior welterweight)
Rohan Polanco vs. Quinton Randall (welterweight)
Yan Santana vs. Aaron Alameda (featherweight)
Steven Navarro vs. Cristopher Rios (junior bantamweight)
The undercard begins Saturday at 5:10 p.m. ET/2:10 p.m. PT on ESPN+, with all the action called by Joe Tessitore, Timothy Bradley Jr., Mark Kriegel, and Bernardo Osuna.
Both Zayas and Garcia bring significant stakes to the ring. For Zayas, it’s the culmination of a rise that began as Top Rank’s youngest signee and now surges toward world champion status. For Garcia, it’s a golden opportunity to cap a career resurgence with global recognition and championship gold.
Boxing fans are primed for an electric night at Madison Square Garden, with two unbeaten stars, an underdog puncher, and four championship-ready warriors set to light up one of the sport’s most iconic venues.
