WBO junior middleweight champion Xander Zayas says he didn’t hear back from Vergil Ortiz Jr’s promoters at Golden Boy Promotions when he told them that he wants his first defense of his title to be in his native Puerto Rico.
Many fans on social media believe that Zayas ducked Ortiz Jr. (23-0, 21 KOs) after saying that he didn’t want to talk to Vergil Jr. about a fight until he wins a world title. “Now I’m a champion, so I told him to come back to me when he wins a world title,” said Zayas to Fighthype.
The Puerto Rico Demand
“That was the offer. What I posted in the email was the offer, which is not an offer. It’s not a set date. It’s not a set venue. It’s not a set number. It’s just a conversation-starter,” said WBO junior middleweight champion Xander Zayas to Fight Hub TV about the offer he made to Vergil Ortiz Jr. to fight him in Puerto Rico.
“So, they [Golden Boy Promotions, the promoters for Vergil Jr.] wanted to start a conversation. We told them, ‘Let’s bring it to Puerto Rico. That’s where I want to defend my title for the first time.’ And we didn’t hear back. So, there was no offer. There’s just an email to start off the conversation,” said Zayas.
The Financial Split Controversy
What Zayas is failing to mention is why the negotiations failed against Vergil Jr. He questioned Golden Boy’s offer, saying it’s “not a real offer.” Xander reportedly wasn’t satisfied with the 50-50 split of the revenue to fight Ortiz Jr. in Southern California on DAZN pay-per-view. Zayas stated that he’s the WBO 154-lb champion, and he should get the better financial deal. He also insisted that the fight be staged in his home country, Puerto Rico.
Xander believed that his WBO title meant something in negotiating with Ortiz Jr. In this era of the sport, holding a world title is no longer what’s important. The popularity of the fighter is what matters when selecting a location and negotiating a purse split. Holding a title often means that a fighter’s promoter cleverly maneuvered them into the strap. That’s the perception that many fans have about Zayas.
They believe that his promoters at Top Rank skillfully matched him against the right guys, Slawa Spomer and Jorge Garcia Perez, to capture the vacant WBO junior middleweight title on July 26. They maneuvered the inexperienced Xander around the dangerous contenders to capture the WBO belt. Understandably, Golden Boy and Ortiz Jr. would feel like they deserve a 50-50 split. Ortiz Jr. has fought better opposition than Zayas with Vergil Jr’s recent wins over Israil Madrimov and Serhii Bohachuk.
“The money is wherever the fight is made. If the fans want to see it, the money will be there. And, I feel this is a fight that the fans want to see. It doesn’t matter where the fight is,” said Xander about the Ortiz Jr. clash. “I know at some point in our careers, we’re going to meet and see who is the best.”
Zayas Calls Out Boots Ennis
“Hopefully, we can get something going for next year,” said Zayas about Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.
That would be a difficult fight for Xander to face Ennis if he’s serious, as he doesn’t have the resume to prove that he would perform well against the unbeaten Matchroom-promoted fighter. ‘Boots’ (34-0, 30 KOs) is making his debut at 154 against the top-10 ranked Uisma Lima on October 11, 2025, at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia. Ennis’ promoter, Eddie Hearn, wants him to face Vergil Ortiz Jr. for his WBC interim junior middleweight title in February 2026.
