Xander Zayas looked excellent as he dropped Elias Espadas twice en route to a round 5 TKO at Resorts World Casino in Las Vegas, NV.
Super welterweight Xander Zayas looked much more mature than a 19-year-old in the ring on Saturday, Aug. 13. He showed increased strength and aggression as he dropped Elias Espadas twice to force the round 5 TKO.
Zayas (14-0, 10 KOs) stole the show of the Top Rank Teofimo Lopez vs. Pedro Campa undercard at Resorts World Casino in Las Vegas, NV. Zayas is known for his right hand, but he also showed a formidable left hook.
Espadas (22-5,15 KOs) had never been stopped in his career before fighting Zayas, but Zayas handed him the first stoppage loss of his 10-year professional boxing career.
Zayas came out charged in round 1. He dropped Espadas with two minutes left in the round with a left hook to the chin. It rocked Espadas, but he got to his feet and finished the round.
Xander Zayas recorded his 10th stoppage by getting the round 5 TKO victory over Elias Espadas
Espadas fought better in round 2 but looked zapped of energy in round 3. Zayas landed left hooks and straight rights and kept it up throughout the fight.
However, things grew tense for Zayas in round 4. Referee Russell Mora warned Zayas for the third time for low blows. Several of Zayas’s punches strayed low but looked unintentional.
Zayas focused on the head from that point on. Early in round 5, he connected with a left hook and followed it with a right cross to Espadas’s head. It dropped Espadas on the seat of his pants, and Mora called a stopped to the fight giving Zayas the round 5 TKO 23 seconds into the round.
Zayas’s power looked different tonight. He fought a tough 31-year-old veteran and battered him around the ring before closing the show. Zayas is getting stronger and looked like a manchild against Espadas.
If Zayas continues to make these types of strides this early into his career, then the super welterweight division will have a legitimate problem in the future.
