Xander Zayas will face undefeated Slawa Spomer in the co-main event in a WBO 154-lb title eliminator on the Keyshawn Davis vs. Denys Berinchyk card on Valentine’s Day, February 14 on ESPN at Hula Theater at Madison Square Garden in New York.
A win for 22-year-old Puerto Rican-born Xander Zayas makes it mandatory for WBO junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora.
Zayas’ promoters, Top Rank, have tricked him into claiming the WBO belt if it’s vacant or if Fundora loses it in 2025 in his next fight. They are trying to turn Zayas into a star quickly like they are doing with Keyshawn. Pairing Zayas against a beatable Spomer is one way to make him look great.
Xander Zayas vs. Slava Spomer
Keith Idec rexpurgations that Zayas vs. Spomer (20-0, 11 KOs) was slotted for the main support on the Davis vs. Berinchyk card.
The little-known 32-year-old German Spomer has fought in near-obscurity in his native Germany against second-tier opposition throughout his six-year pro career. His opponents are largely unknown, and why the World Boxing Organization ranked him at #11 is not clear.
Zayas (20-0, 11 KOs) had hoped to fight on the Feb. 22 card in Riyadh after Jaron “Boots” Ennis turned down a fight against interim WBC junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. However, Israil Madrimov will be Ortiz Jr’s opponent instead. than Zayas.
In the main event, the lightweight contender no. 1 WBO Keyshawn Davis (12-0, 8 KOs) will challenge undefeated WBO 135-lb champion Denys Berinchyk (19-0, 9 KOs) on the ESPN card.
