Top junior middleweight prospect Xander Zayas has announced that he will not be fighting on Top Rank’s June 11 card as originally planned, citing an illness as the reason for his withdrawal.
“I am sorry to announce that due to illness I was forced to pull out of my fight on June 11th,” Zayas wrote on social media. “I have done my best to get well, however, my condition got worse over the past few days forcing me to withdraw at the direction of medical experts.
“As much as I love this sport and wanted to put on a show at Madison Square Garden for the fans, my health comes first and my team and I had to make the difficult decision to postpone this fight. I want to thank everyone for all of the support and love. As soon as I am healthy, I will return to doing what I love.”
For the sake of full accuracy, the card is being held at the Hulu Theater, not the Madison Square Garden most people think of when they hear “Madison Square Garden.”
Top Rank noted that it was a “non-COVID-19-related viral infection” that has Zayas sidelined for the moment, and that junior lightweight prospect Henry Lebron (15-0, 10 KO) has been elevated to the night’s co-feature role, beneath Edgar Berlanga’s main event against Roamer Alexis Angulo.
The 19-year-old Zayas (13-0, 9 KO) turned pro in 2019 and has quickly made waves, a Puerto Rican fighter born in San Juan and now based in Florida. He’s kept himself busy, fighting six times in 2021, and he was last seen on Mar. 19, winning an eight-round decision over Quincy LaVallais on the Berlanga-Rolls undercard.