You might know that Puerto Rico recently added another prodigy to its proud roll of title‑winners on 27 July 2025, when Xander Zayas out‑pointed Jorge García Pérez at Madison Square Garden to seize the vacant WBO junior‑middleweight crown. This way, at just 22 years, 327 days, the silky southpaw became the sport’s youngest active champion, and he’s already calling for unification fights in a division suddenly on notice.
Zayas’ breakthrough invites the classic bar‑room question: who else became a champion before their mid‑twenties? Here are the standout record‑setters who turned promise into belts while most fighters were still learning their craft.
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Wilfred Benítez – 17 years 5 months WBA super‑lightweight (March 6, 1976). Out‑boxed the great Antonio Cervantes to set a record that still stands.
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Mike Tyson – 20 years 4 months WBC heavyweight (Nov 22, 1986). Two‑round demolition of Trevor Berbick re‑wrote the heavyweight history books.
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David Benavídez – 20 years 9 months WBC super‑middleweight (Sep 8, 2017). Split‑decision over Ronald Gavril made him the youngest 168‑lb king ever.
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Devin Haney – 20 years 11 months Elevated to WBC lightweight champion (Oct 23, 2019) after capturing the interim title six weeks earlier.
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Jesse Rodríguez – 22 years 0 months WBC super‑flyweight (Feb 5, 2022). Jumped in on five days’ notice and out‑classed Carlos Cuadras.
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Xander Zayas – 22 years 10 months WBO junior‑middleweight (Jul 27, 2025). Now the freshest face on this list and the youngest belt‑holder in today’s game.
Why early titles matter
Grabbing gold this young demands rare composure, speed‑learning and a team willing to take risks. Benítez became a three‑division champion by 22; Tyson unified the heavyweights inside a year; Haney and Rodríguez have already moved up weight classes with success. Whether Zayas follows that blueprint remains to be seen, but his arrival reaffirms a timeless truth: in boxing, youth isn’t wasted on the young—it often dominates the ring.
Image Credit: Top Rank