SANTA YANEZ, Calif. – Call it coincidence or good fortune, it's up to you, but the boxing world is becoming more and more successful in bringing its stars to the big time, so keep an eye on what happens this weekend.
For the second straight day, two of the world's most promising 154-pound fighters will be main-eventted on opposite coasts, building anticipation for a possible future clash at Madison Square Garden.
Callum Walsh, 23, of Ireland, helped add to the drama Friday night at Chumash Casino Resort, knocking out veteran knockout puncher Carlos Ortiz 1 minute, 50 seconds into the second round to improve his unbeaten record to 11-0 with a ninth round knockout.
And on Saturday night on ESPN, Puerto Rico's Xander Zayas (18-0, 12 KOs) will face former 154-pound titleholder Patrick Teixeira (34-4, 25 KOs) at the MSG Theater in New York.
“Ireland vs. Puerto Rico is always a great matchup for MSG,” Walsh's promoter Tom Loeffler told Boxing Scene.
Described as his “best performance to date” by renowned trainer Freddie Roach, Walsh has earned the right to a homecoming bout in Ireland in the early autumn.
Walsh dealt with a desperate 39-year-old Ortiz being knocked down by a short right hook in the first round, then went one-on-one with his opponent in the second and knocked him down twice with a left hook, the final blow sending Ortiz down and referee Jack Reiss immediately calling the bout over.
“Once you hit it, nobody can beat you. … I know it was short, but I got it done,” Walsh told BoxingScene in the ring after the fight. “The best thing about tonight was I fought a guy who has a 100% knockout rate. Everybody thought he was dangerous, but I went out there and proved I don't care. I knocked out a knockout artist.”
Walsh returns after headlining two consecutive main events at the MSG Theater, facing a dangerous and experienced opponent.
But Ortiz was no match for Walsh in this hard-fought battle, and UFC president Dana White, a supporter of Walsh, told BoxingScene he was very impressed.
“He looks good,” White said. “I love the kid. I'm excited to see how far he can go.”
Added Roach: “His focus, his IQ, he could see it all. [Ortiz] He got a really good shot at him. A lot of people were telling me, 'Watch out for this guy, he's dangerous.' I [Walsh]”'Go out there and box.' And that's what he did. It's a good win, I'm happy.”
Top Rank chairman Bob Arum warned that “we'll have to take our time” with his opponent Zayas being “only 21,” but knowing Loeffler's tenacity and Roach's talent, he remained enthusiastic about the idea of a Walsh-Zayas clash.
Carl Moretti, Top Rank's vice president of boxing operations, is optimistic about the idea.
“While there have been no direct discussions, it's entirely possible we could see the two of them fighting at The Garden at some point,” Moretti said.
Those involved are fully aware that engaging in this kind of futuristic matchmaking is a risky adventure.
As the 2010s began, there was a cross-promotional scheme to build the careers of Oscar De La Hoya's East Los Angeles discoverie Frankie Gomez and top-ranked surefire prospect Jose Benavidez Jr.
Gomez did indeed retire with an unbeaten record of 21-0 with 13 knockouts, but he struggled with weight adjustment and couldn't escape the trappings of hometown loyalty. He hasn't fought again since May 2016, when he fought at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on the night Saul “Canelo” Alvarez first started boxing.
Three months later, Benavidez Jr. was shot in the leg on the streets of his hometown Phoenix and his career would never be the same again, while his brother David was enjoying a world title run and undefeated acclaim as he faces former Ukrainian light heavyweight world titleholder Oleksandr Gvozdyk in Las Vegas on June 15.
That was then.
This is now.
When asked about beating Zayas, Walsh said, “I'm gonna knock him out too. I promise I can knock him out.”
“It's getting better every time. I feel the best I've ever felt. I needed this fight to crush that opponent and get that hunger back. I'm clean, uninjured and ready to compete again as soon as possible.”
