Top Rank is planning the return of unbeaten Puerto Rican junior middleweight Xander Zayas and Brooklyn’s Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington to the Hulu Theater at Madison Square Garden in September. Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum confirmed the joint comeback following their convincing victories on June 8.
Zayas dominated his bout, winning all 10 rounds on two scorecards and 99-91 on the third, against former 154-pound titleholder Patrick Teixeira. Meanwhile, Carrington secured an eighth-round TKO over replacement opponent Brayan De Gracia from Panama. Both fighters’ performances were well-received, with undisputed junior featherweight champion Naoya Inoue watching from ringside.
Watch Zayas vs. Teixeira highlights: Watch
Top Rank Vice President Carl Moretti mentioned that the promotion is still waiting for date approvals and has not yet finalized opponents for Zayas and Carrington. However, Zayas has shown interest in potential matchups with Erickson Lubin and newly signed Top Rank fighter Vito Mielnicki Jr.
The decision to bring back Zayas and Carrington to MSG stems from their successful outings, aligning with the principle of “if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.” The promotion aims to build on the momentum generated by these promising fighters.
Read more about previous Zayas vs. Teixeira event by clicking here.
Image Credit: Top Rank