Zayas, 22, Becomes Youngest Active World Champion

Puerto Rico's Xander Zayas has go boxing's youngest progressive world champion astatine nan property of 22 by gaining a unanimous points triumph complete Mexico's Jorge Garcia Perez to triumph nan vacant WBO light-middleweight title.

At New York's Madison Square Garden connected Saturday, Zayas secured a ascendant points triumph by margins of 116-112, 118-110 and 119-109.

"This is simply a dream travel true," said Zayas, who turned master astatine 17. "This is beautiful. To spot my Puerto Rican fans here, this is amazing. I could ne'er dream of thing amended than this."

Unbeaten Zayas, who has won each 22 of his master fights, took power of nan title pinch speedy jabs to nan assemblage and powerful rights.

Garcia, suffering only his 5th nonaccomplishment successful his 38th bout, managed to spell toe-to-toe pinch Zayas successful a thrilling sixth round, but could not support that unit arsenic Zayas was capable to show his people and predominate nan later rounds.

"I had to container my measurement to victory," added Zayas. "I knew if I stood successful beforehand of him I'd beryllium fighting his fight. So, I did everything down nan jab. The jab was nan cardinal to victory, and we showed that."

US-born Puerto Rican Wilfred Benitez holds nan grounds for being nan youngest-ever world champion arsenic he was 17 years and 176 days erstwhile he won nan WBA light-welterweight loop successful March 1976.