Among the main protagonists of the boxing weekend that has just gone by were super welterweights Josh Kelly and Xander Zayas, both coming off highly prestigious victories. Kelly surprisingly dethroned feared Russian puncher Bakhram Murtazaliev, taking away his IBF world title, while Zayas unified the WBO and WBA belts by defeating Germany’s Abass Baraou. Now the paths of the two winners could cross.
Following his Saturday triumph, Zayas stated: “Kelly won tonight. If he wants to get it on this summer, I would like to invite him to Puerto Rico or New York.”
Should the two fighters reach an agreement, as many as three world titles would be on the line in their hypothetical clash. The only belt left out would be the WBC title, currently held by towering American super welterweight Sebastian Fundora.
Josh Kelly would likely enter the bout as the underdog, especially if the fight were to take place in the USA or Puerto Rico, as hoped by Zayas. On the other hand, the Englishman has already proven bookmakers and experts wrong just a couple of days ago and could be capable of doing so again, also because his recent victory has undoubtedly boosted his confidence enormously.
Zayas, at just 23 years of age, still appears to have significant room for improvement and indeed seems to be progressing with every fight. The split decision verdict at the end of his latest win should not be misleading: the scorecard in favor of Abass Baraou, not coincidentally turned in by a German judge, was in fact harshly criticized by everyone who watched the bout.
Negotiations between Zayas and Kelly could prove complicated due to the fact that their careers are promoted by rival companies. Kelly fights under the Matchroom Boxing banner led by Eddie Hearn, while Zayas is promoted by Bob Arum’s Top Rank.
Should he fail to secure a unification bout with the Englishman, Zayas has nonetheless made himself available to face any of the other big names in the division, from Jaron Ennis to Vergil Ortiz Jr to Sebastian Fundora.