NEW YORK– He turned pro at the age of 17. At 22, Puerto Rico’s chosen one became a champion.

Xander Zayas dominated Mexico’s Jorge Garcia by unanimous decision (116-112, 118-110, and 119-109) to win the WBO junior middleweight world title Saturday evening at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. 

Garcia (33-5, 26 KOs), fueled by his upset win over Charles Conwell in April, launched toward Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) with wildly thrown punches. Zayas evaded most shots, soon adjusting to a game plan of quick jabs to the body and occasional right hands.

Still, Garcia managed to drag Zayas into a fight, especially in the sixth as both went toe-to-toe with hooks in the center of the ring. But by the seventh and eighth, Zayas’ counterpunching began to wear down Garcia as he easily outboxed him in the championship rounds.

Zayas said, “Boxing 101. I had to box my way to victory. I knew that if I stood in front of him that I’d be fighting his fight. So, I did everything behind the jab. The jab was the key to victory, and we showed that today.

“This is a dream come true. This is beautiful. To see my Puerto Rican fans here, this is amazing. I could never dream of anything better than this.”

Carrington Decisions Heita To win Interim Featherweight Title

Bruce Carrington won the WBC Interim Featherweight Title with a 12-round unanimous decision over Mateus Heita.

Carrington was quick with counters and landed several hard combinations that seemed to slightly rock Heita on several occasions.

Carrington, 125 lbs of Brooklyn won by scores of 119-108 twice and 120-108 and is now 16-0. Heita, 124.8 lbs of Namibia is 14-1.

CARRINGTON

“I wanted to show that I can go the full 12 rounds. I showed that championship level through those 12 rounds. I feel good. I feel in shape. I feel sharp and ready for that next level.”

I’m ready. I’ve been calling out all the champions. They already know. I see {Rafael} Espinoza in the crowd. I want to fight him. I want to fight Nick Ball. I want to fight Stephen Fulton.”

Emiliano Fernando Vargas Obliterates Espinoza in 1

Emiliano Fernando Vargas needed just one counter right hand to take out Alexander Espinoza in the opening round of their eight-round junior welterweight bout.

Vargas put a right hand on the chin of Espinoza and he folded down to the canvas. Espinoza tried to get up, but fell face first and the bout was over at 42 secpnds.

Vargas, 139.6 lbs of Las Vegas is 15-0 with 13 knockouts. Espinoza, 139.4 lbs of Ecuador is 20-4-1.

EMILIANO FERNANDO VARGAS

“I’m just a Mexican kid trying to make it to the top. 26 years ago, my father fought here, and history repeats itself. If I could be half as great as my father was, I’ll make it a long way.”

“Top 15 in the world, 15-0… I’m coming for all the belts!”

“Alexander Espinoza is the most experienced fighter I’ve ever fought. I was ready for 15 rounds tonight. It’s a blessing that I got to do it so quick. They don’t pay me for overtime, though. I had to get it done fast. Like I said, I’m ready for top, elite competition. My skills are going to show through.”

Zayas Decisions Garcia To Win WBO Junior Middleweight Title

Rohan Polanco remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Quinton Randall in a welterweight fight.

Polanco, 146.6 lbs of Samto Domingo, DR won by scores of 100-90, 99-91 and 97-93 and is now17-0. Randall, 146.8 lbs of Houston is 15-3-1.

Juanmita Lopez De Jesus stopped Jorge Gonzalez in round two of their four-round junior bantamweight bout.

In round one, De Jesus dropped Sanchez with a perfect counter left. De Jesus dropped Sanchez again after he landed about five consecutive left hands that was finished off by a two hand flurry. In round two, De Jesus dropped Sanchez with a perfect counter left and the fight was stopped at 1:14.

De Jesus, 113.8 lbs of Caguas, PR is 3-0 with two knockouts. Sanchez, 114.8 lbs of Las Mairis, PR is 5-3.

Yan Santana remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Aaron Almeida in a featherweight bout.

Santana, 124.8 lbs of La Romana, DR won by scores of 100-90 on all cards and is now 15-0. Almeida, 125.4 lbs of Nogales, MEX is 30-3.

Steven Navarro pounded out an eight-round unanimous decision over Christopher Rios in a junior bantamweight bout.

The fight was a slugfest with both fighters landing combinations.

n round two, Navarro began to bleed around his left ear, but he landed more and was more accurate and won by scores of 77-75 on all cards and id now 7-0. Rios, 114.4 lbs of Compton, CA is 11-3.

Julius Ballo made a sucsessful pro debut with a four-round unanimous decision over Brandon Ayala in a lightweight bout.

Ballo, 132.6 lbs of San Diego won by scores of 40-36 on all cards and is now 1-0. Ayala, 130.2 lbs of Harrisburg, NC is 2-1.

   • Xander Zayas 154 lbs vs. Jorge Garcia 153 lbs
(Vacant WBO Junior Middleweight World Title — 12 Rounds)

•  Bruce Carrington 125 lbs vs. Mateus Heita 124.8 lbs
 (Vacant WBC Interim Featherweight World Title  — 12 Rounds)

•   Emiliano Fernando Vargas 139.6 lbs vs. Alexander Espinoza 139.4 lbs
 (Vargas’ Jr. NABF Junior Welterweight Title — 8 Rounds)

(ESPN+, 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT)

•  Rohan Polanco 146.6 lbs vs. Quinton Randall 146.8 lbs
 (Polanco’s WBO Intercontinental Welterweight Title — 10 Rounds)

•  Juanmita Lopez De Jesus 113.8 lbs vs. Jorge Gonzalez-Sanchez 114.8 lbs
 (Junior Bantamweight — 4 Rounds)
 
•  Yan Santana 124.8 lbs vs. Aaron Alameda 125.6 lbs
 (Vacant NABO Featherweight Title — 10 Rounds)

• Steven Navarro 115 lbs vs. Cristopher Rios 114.4 lbs
 (Navarro’s Jr. NABF Junior Bantamweight Title — 8 Rounds)

•  Julius Ballo 132.6 lbs vs. Brandan Ayala 130.2 lbs
 (Lightweight— 4 Rounds)

NEW YORK CITY (July 24, 2025) — Xander Zayas (21-0, 13 KOs) returns to his home away from home for his first shot at a world title.

The Puerto Rican phenom meets Mexican slugger Jorge Garcia (33-4, 26 KOs) for the vacant WBO junior middleweight world championship this Saturday, July 26, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Zayas signed with Top Rank at 16. Now 22, with seven MSG appearances under his belt, he’s closing in on the dream he’s chased since first lacing up.

In the co-feature, Brooklyn native Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) takes on unbeaten Namibian Mateus Heita (14-0, 9 KOs) for the WBC interim featherweight world title.

In the eight-round televised opener, Emiliano Fernando Vargas(14-0, 12 KOs) returns against Ecuador’s AlexanderEspinoza (20-3-1, 9 KOs) in a junior welterweight battle.

Zayas-Garcia, Carrington-Heita, and Vargas-Espinoza will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

The ESPN+-streamed undercard begins at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT and includes a trifecta of Caribbean standouts.

Dominican welterweight Rohan Polanco (16-0, 10 KOs) takes on veteran Quinton Randall (15-2-1, 3 KOs) in a 10-rounder, while second-generation Puerto Rican star Juanmita Lopez De Jesus (2-0, 1 KO) makes his second appearance at The Theater against Jorge Gonzalez-Sanchez (5-2, 4 KOs) in a four-rounder at junior bantamweight.

Yan Santana (14-0, 12 KOs), a power-punching featherweight from the Dominican Republic, faces former world title challenger Aaron Alameda (30-2, 17 KOs) in a 10-round fight.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions, tickets are on sale via Ticketmaster.com.

At Thursday’s press conference, this is what the fighters said:

Xander Zayas

“I feel like every camp is completely different and every camp you prepare differently, but throughout my whole career, Top Rank and my team have prepared me for this moment. We always said that when we would fight for a world title, we would do it when we were ready to fight for it and win it. And this is the moment. Fight number 22 at MSG. It’s my moment to become a world champion.”

“Just like he and his family said that 2025 would be their year, I talked with my family and we said that 2025 would be my year. So at the end, we have to go in that ring and do our jobs, and I’m prepared to do whatever it takes to come out victorious.”

“I had my team with me throughout my camp. My nutritionist team. My sparring partners. For the first time in my career, I did buy a camp house. So I’ve been enjoying the camp house for the last 10 weeks.”

“This Saturday, Puerto Rico will have a new world champion at 154 pounds.”

Jorge Garcia

“I’m happy to have been given this opportunity to fight for a world title. It’s something that I’ve always dreamed of ever since I started in this business. And now I’m only days away from making this a reality. I’m ready and I’m here.”

“We have adopted a success mindset. And I’ve been working hard with my team and my promoter. And it looks like we are seeing the results of our hard work because here we are at a big press conference talking about this world title opportunity. I think it’s a good sign.”

“My family and I all declared that 2025 would be our year, the year we’d fight for and win a world title. And now, it’s right around the corner. Of course, I still have to get through Xander, but we’re ready. We’ve trained hard for this moment.”

“I worked hard for this. I come from the bottom. And I’m happy to be chasing my dream and the most important fight of my life.”

Bruce Carrington

“This is the thing that I’ve been begging for for the last year and a half, which is to have the opportunity to fight on the championship level. Now we’re here. 12 rounds. And we’ve prepared over time. I’m ready to hop on a scale today and get in this ring and get into a fight right now. I’m just so locked in mentally, and I just can’t wait to perform in front of everybody.”

“I take every fight as a championship fight, but I’m definitely taking him very seriously. You know, he’s 14-0 with nine knockouts. I’m 15-0 with nine knockouts. He deserves to have this opportunity to get this fight. And, but I’m definitely going to show why I am special. And I’m definitely going to show why there are levels to this. And you’re going to see that it might not even go to full 12 rounds. It’s going to be a demolition. It’s going to be a surgical beatdown.”

Mateus Heita

“It’s actually a big dream, and it’s a big thing for me. Here in Africa, every fighter’s dream is to fight in the U.S. So fighting at Madison Square Garden is a dream come true for me.”

“I don’t see anything special in him. This is just another challenge that I have to overcome in my career.

“The preparation has been good. I’m ready for him, I’m ready to fight, and I’m ready to take what’s mine.”

“I’m carrying my whole nation on my shoulders. This is a very big opportunity. I’ll make my country proud and bring the victory home.”

Emiliano Fernando Vargas

“I just want to continue to grow. At the end of the day, I know I’m young in my career, but at the same time, I know the big plans that we have. And I know God has greater plans. So, I’m just looking to keep my head down and keep on working.”

“My last fight ended quickly, as well as the fight before that. I’m looking to get right back to the gym after this fight, but we never look past anyone. I know he’s ready to go. I know he trained a long time for this, so I’m ready to go.”

“I’m ready to show out in front of all the other beautiful Latino fans in New York. Actually, there’s been a lot of love here. I’m very grateful for it, and I’m just, I’m ready to put on another performance because every fight has to be greater than the last fight.”

Alexander Espinoza

“This is a huge opportunity for me. As a kid, I dreamed of fighting in the big leagues. Top Rank is the big leagues. So, I’m fulfilling the dream of that kid who once desired to fight at Madison Square Garden. I’m ready.”

“He is a tough opponent. You can’t underestimate anyone. But I have prepared for him. I have had good sparring. And I prepared mentally and physically for this.”

Rohan Polanco

“It was a great experience to fight on the Naoya Inoue card in May. There were a lot of great talents on that card. I also feel good about the work that I did in that fight with Fabian Maidana. I learned that you can’t knock all of your opponents. So, I got experience from that, and I’m ready for more challenging fights.”

“I’m ready for a world title shot now. But I don’t think it’ll happen until I am the mandatory challenger because there are champions that don’t want to fight me because they know that I’m very dangerous.”

Juanmita Lopez De Jesus

“I think this is a great opportunity, another chance to show the people that I’m one of the prospects of Puerto Rico. It’s my third fight, and this is the greatest scenario. In {my last fight} in Puerto Rico, we were the main event. Now, we are on this type of card. It’s great.”

“In my last fight, I learned that I had to be more calm. I have to work with the pressure because the Puerto Rican people are intense. I learned a lot, and I’m going to show Saturday night that I learned from that fight and am one of the best prospects from  Puerto Rico.”

Yan Santana 

“This is a dream come true to be fighting at MSG. It also feels good working with my {co-promoter} Miguel Cotto Promotions. It’s something incredible. It’s something we dreamed of. I’m here to demonstrate what I’m capable of. I’m here to demonstrate this Saturday. We’re going to come out on top. I represent the Dominicans. I represent the Latinos, Puerto Ricans… all Latinos. We’re coming to show that we’re on top.”

Julius Ballo

“It was a tough training camp, so I’m looking forward to putting on a great performance Saturday night.”

Saturday, July 26

ESPN, ESPN Deportes and ESPN+ (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT)

Xander Zayas vs. Jorge Garcia, 12 Rounds, Vacant WBO Junior Middleweight World Title

Bruce Carrington vs. Mateus Heita 12 Rounds, Vacant WBC Interim Featherweight World Title

Emiliano Fernando Vargas vs. Alexander Espinoza, 8 rounds, Vargas’ Jr. NABF Junior Welterweight Title

ESPN+ (6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT)

Rohan Polanco vs. Quinton Randall, 10 rounds, Polanco’s WBO Intercontinental Welterweight Title

Juanmita Lopez De Jesus vs. Jorge Gonzalez-Sanchez, 4 rounds, Junior Bantamweight

Yan Santana vs. Aaron Alameda, 10 rounds, Vacant NABO Featherweight Title

Steven Navarro vs. Cristopher Rios, 8 rounds, Navarro’s Jr. NABF Junior Bantamweight Title

Julius Ballo vs. Brandan Ayala, 4 rounds, Featherweight

Unbeaten Puerto Rican phenom Xander Zayas will take on upset-minded Mexican contender Jorge Garcia for the vacant WBO junior middleweight world championship.

Zayas (21-0, 13 KOs) is an undefeated rising star who turned professional at age 17 and quickly climbed the ranks. He captured the NABO title in 2022 and has since successfully defended it seven times, including recent victories over Damian Sosa and former world champion Patrick Teixeira. Zayas began his 2025 campaign with a dominant ninth-round TKO over Germany’s Slawa Spomer.

Garcia (33-4, 26 KOs) enters Saturday’s title tilt on an eight-fight winning streak that commenced with a seventh-round knockout of previously undefeated Hector Andres Reyes in June 2023. Garcia has collected victories abroad, including knockouts in the Dominican Republic and South Africa. In April, he handed previously unbeaten U.S. Olympian Charles Conwell his first loss via split decision, earning a No.?2 WBO ranking.

In the co-feature, Brooklyn native Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington and unbeaten Namibian Mateus Heita will collide for the WBC interim featherweight world title.

Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) has emerged as a dominant force in the featherweight division, earning the No. 1 ranking from both the WBC and WBO. In 2024, he delivered a standout year with four consecutive wins, including a highlight-reel knockout of Bernard Torres, a commanding decision over Dana Coolwell, and a statement-making knockout of Brayan De Gracia. Carrington last fought in March, thrilling fans with a third-round stoppage over Jose Enrique Vivas.

Heita (14-0, 9 KOs), a rising featherweight from Namibia, has built an impressive undefeated record since turning pro in 2018. He claimed the WBO Africa featherweight title with a fifth-round TKO of Tatenda Biningu and defended that strap in April with a 12-round unanimous decision over South Africa’s Abdulaziz Kunert.

In the eight-round televised opener, Mexican American prospect Emiliano Fernando Vargas returns against Ecuador’s Alexander Espinoza in a junior welterweight showdown.

The action-packed undercard begins at 5:10 p.m. ET/ 2:10 p.m. PT on ESPN+.

Joe Tessitore, Timothy Bradley, Jr., Mark Kriegel, and Bernardo Osuna will call the action.

ESPN.com

Out Thursday, July 24: By the numbers: Xander Zayas vs. Jorge Garcia and Bruce Carrington vs. Mateus Heita

Using CompuBox and ESPN research data, we preview both title fights. Plus, Ian Parker adds best bets for the card.

Original Programming:

ESPN Original Series “The Fight Life” returns for Season 2, chronicling a year in the world of Top Rank through the journeys of six of boxing’s brightest stars: Keyshawn Davis, Mikaela Mayer, Jared Anderson, Jaime Munguia, Abdullah Mason & Emiliano Vargas.

Check out all of season one now on ESPN+, featuring Tyson Fury, Naoya Inoue, Seniesa Estrada, Teofimo Lopez and Josh Taylor.

ESPN+: On Demand Shows, Archives & Premium Articles

• Top Rank: Real Time– All-access with top fighters throughout fight week as they work their way to fight night. 
• Who Do U Fight 4?– Learn what drivesthe next generation of Top Rank stars. 
• State of Boxing– Post-show coverage of the biggest fights on ESPN and ESPN+. 
• Best of Boxing Spotlight – An archive of the all-time best Top Rank fights. 

Follow @ESPNRingside: Facebook Instagram X (Twitter) TikTok

Zayas vs. Garcia (All Times ET)

Date	Time	Event	Fights	Title (s)	Platform
Thu., July 24	2 p.m.	Main Card Press Conference	—	—	ESPN+
Fri., July 25	1 p.m.	Weigh-in	—	—
Sat., July 26	9 p.m.	Main	Xander Zayas vs. Jorge Garcia	(Vacant) WBO Jr. Middleweight	ESPN, ESPN Deportes,ESPN+(simulcast)
		Co-Feature	Bruce Carrington vs. Mateus Heita	(Interim) WBC Featherweight
		Undercard	Emiliano Fernando Vargas vs. Alexander Espinoza
	5:10 p.m.	Feature	Rohan Polanco vs. Quinton Randall		ESPN+
		Undercard	Juanmita Lopez De Jesus vs. Jorge Gonzalez-Sanchez
		Undercard	Yan Santana vs. Aaron Alameda
		Undercard	Steven Navarro vs. Cristopher Rios
		Undercard	Bakhodir Jalolov vs. Gianmarco Cardillo
		Undercard	Julius Ballo vs. Brandan Ayala

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NEW YORK (June 12, 2025) — Fast-rising Dominican welterweight Rohan Polanco returns to action in a 10-rounder against crafty veteran Quinton Randall on Saturday, July 26, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

Polanco will be joined on the undercard by his countryman, featherweight knockout artist Yan Santana, who will make his NYC debut in a 10-rounder versus Mexican former world title challenger Aaron Alameda.

Polanco-Randall and Santana-Alameda will be part of the ESPN+-streamed undercard before the ESPN-televised tripleheader (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) headlined by the vacant WBO junior middleweight world title fight between Xander Zayas and Jorge Garcia.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions, tickets are ON SALE NOW via Ticketmaster.com. 

Polanco (16-0, 10 KOs) is currently ranked No. 7 by the WBO, a ranking he earned on the strength of May’s shutout decision over Fabian Maidana in Las Vegas. He represented his homeland at the Tokyo Olympics and is now poised to carry his nation’s flag in the paid ranks. Polanco trains with Hector Bermudez in Springfield, Massachusetts, and was 8-0 before signing with Top Rank in 2023. He went 3-0 in 2024 before kicking off his 2025 campaign in February with a second-round knockout of Puerto Rico’s Jean Carlos Torres. Randall (15-2-1, 3 KOs), from Houston, Texas, is 2-1 since a 2023 decision loss to Brian Norman Jr. on a Top Rank on ESPN bill.

Santana (14-0, 12 KOs), who is co-promoted by Miguel Cotto Promotions, spent much of his early career fighting in Cotto’s homeland of Puerto Rico. The 25-year-old appeared on his first Top Rank card last June, grinding down Brandon Valdes en route to a unanimous decision. He last fought in April in Aibonito, Puerto Rico, winning all 10 rounds against Mexico’s Edwin Palomares. Alameda (30-2, 17 KOs) dropped a unanimous decision to Luis Nery in 2020 for the WBC junior featherweight world title. He has won five straight, four by stoppage, since a 2021 decision loss to Angelo Leo.

In other ESPN+ streamed undercard action:

• Unbeaten heavyweight Bakhodir Jalolov (15-0, 14 KOs), a two-time Olympic heavyweight for Uzbekistan, will make his first stateside appearance in nearly two years when he battles Italy’s Gianmarco Cardillo (12-1-2, 2 KOs) in a scheduled 10-rounder. Jalolov dominated the super heavyweight bracket at the 2024 Paris Olympics and came back to the pro ranks in April with a decision over Ihor Shevadzutskyi.
   
• Emerging junior bantamweight Steven “Kid Dynamite” Navarro (6-0, 5 KOs), from Inglewood, California, will fight in his second scheduled eight-rounder against Cristopher Rios (11-2, 7 KOs). Navarro has been on the fast track to contention since turning pro last April with a sixth-round stoppage over Jose Lopez.

NEW YORK CITY (May 29, 2025) — At 16, Puerto Rican rising star Xander Zayas became Top Rank’s youngest signee. Now, at just 22, he’s ready to seize his first world title.

Zayas will take on upset-minded Mexican puncher Jorge Garcia for the vacant WBO junior middleweight world championship on Saturday, July 26, at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.

In the co-feature, Brooklyn native Bruce “Shu Shu” Carrington and unbeaten Namibian Mateus Heita will collide for the WBC interim featherweight world title.

And, in the eight-round televised opener, Mexican American prospect Emiliano Fernando Vargas returns against Ecuador’s Alexander Espinoza in a junior welterweight showdown.

Zayas-Garcia, Carrington-Heita, and Vargas-Espinoza will be broadcast live on ESPN, ESPN Deportes, and ESPN+ at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Promoted by Top Rank, in association with Zanfer Boxing and Golden Boy Promotions, tickets go on sale Friday, June 6 at 12 p.m. ET and can be purchased via Ticketmaster.com.  

“When we signed Xander at the age of 16, he was a teenager with all the potential in the world. He’s now an accomplished young contender with a tremendous opportunity to win his first world title,” said Top Rank Chairman Bob Arum. “Jorge Garcia has been impressive lately, and I expect an action-packed, dramatic main event at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.”

Zayas (21-0, 13 KOs) looks to become Puerto Rico’s next world champion almost six years after turning pro as a 17-year-old. He became a contender in August 2022 after knocking out Elias Espadas to win the NABO title. Zayas has made seven defenses of the NABO strap, including one-sided decisions over Damian Sosa and former world champion Patrick Teixeira in 2024. He kicked off his 2025 campaign in February with a savage ninth-round stoppage over German puncher Slawa Spomer. Zayas grew up idolizing Miguel Cotto, another Puerto Rican standout who turned pro under the Top Rank banner. Cotto won his first world title, the WBO junior welterweight strap, in September 2004. More than two decades later, Zayas looks to follow the lead of his boxing hero.

??”This is a dream I’ve worked hard for my entire life. I’ve got a good opponent in Jorge Garcia, a Mexican hungry to become a world champion,” Zayas said. “But I’m ready to raise the Puerto Rican flag high in victory and become a world champion at 22 years old. See you all on July 26.”

Garcia (33-4, 26 KOs) enters the assignment against Zayas riding an eight-fight winning streak, which began with a seventh-round knockout over then-unbeaten countryman Hector Andres Reyes in June 2023. During that streak, he has played the road warrior role, knocking out Angel Cruz Johnson in the Dominican Republic and Roarke Knapp in South Africa. In April, Garcia snatched the ‘0’ of the highly touted unbeaten U.S. Olympian Charles Conwell, securing a split decision over “Bad News” in Oceanside, California. The good news from the Conwell triumph was a WBO No. 2 ranking and a shot at the title.

“A lot of people thought I wasn’t going to win my last fight, but I scored a stunning upset,” said Garcia. “Even though I was the underdog, I shocked the world. This fight won’t be any different. Becoming a world champion is my dream, and I’m ready to make it come true on July 26 with a dominant win over Xander Zayas. Mexico will have a new champion this summer.”

Carrington (15-0, 9 KOs) has not found a long list of willing dance partners as he’s ascended the featherweight hierarchy. He’s ranked No. 1 by the WBC and WBO, No. 2 by the WBA, and No. 4 by the IBF, the result of several high-profile victories against seasoned veterans. Carrington went 4-0 in 2024, beginning the year in February with a highlight-reel stoppage of Bernard Torres and ending it with a shutout decision over Dana Coolwell on the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson bill. “Shu Shu” took out his frustration on Jose Enrique Vivas in March, becoming the first man to stop the Mexican pressure fighter. After knocking down Vivas in round two, Carrington ended the fight in the third. 

“It’s always a thrill to fight in my city, and I can’t wait to bring the ‘Shu Shu Show’ back to The Theater at Madison Square Garden,” Carrington said. “The featherweight division is full of champions who have refused my challenge, so I credit Heida for accepting. That said, I will take out my frustration on him on July 26 and continue putting the division on notice.”

Heita (14-0, 9 KOs) is the latest hopeful from Namibia, a coastal African nation that has produced world champions Julius Indongo, Paulus Moses, and Paulus Ambunda in recent years. A stablemate of longtime contender Jeremia Nakathila, Heita turned pro as a junior featherweight in 2018, going 9-0 before moving up in weight. Last November, he stopped Tatenda Biningu in nine rounds to win the WBO Africa featherweight title. In April, Heita notched a one-sided 12-round decision over South Africa’s Abdulaziz Kunert.

“I’ve proven to the world that I’m a world-class boxer, and facing the best has always been my ambition because I believe I’m destined for greatness,” said Heita. “I see Bruce as just another obstacle to becoming a world champion. There’s nothing particularly special about him — he’s simply another challenge I will overcome.”

Vargas (14-0, 12 KOs), the youngest son of former world champion Fernando Vargas, has continued to live up to the family legacy since turning pro in 2022. The 20-year-old moved up to junior welterweight last year and went 4-0 with four knockouts, including brutal stoppages over Angel Varela, Jose Zaragoza, and Larry Fryers. In March, he kicked off his 2025 campaign with a highlight-reel second-round TKO against Giovannie Gonzalez. He returned five weeks later to stop Juan Leon in two on the Naoya Inoue-Ramon Cardenas undercard in May. Espinoza (20-3-1, 9 KOs) is an 11-year pro coming off back-to-back wins at home following a loss to Rogelio Jimenez last July.

“Like 50 Cent said, I run New York. All jokes aside, I’m ready to perform on the biggest stage and continue to win,” Vargas said. “Each fight is one step closer to becoming the world champion God called me to be.”

The ESPN+-streamed undercard is scheduled to include second-generation Puerto Rican star Juanmita Lopez De Jesus (2-0, 1 KO) and the pro debut of Team USA amateur sensation Julius ‘JuJu’ Ballo.

Lopez, the son of former two-weight world champion Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez, will return in a four-round junior bantamweight tilt against Jorge Gonzalez-Sanchez (5-2, 4 KOs). In April, the 19-year-old fought in his home country in his last outing, decisioning Malik Quinonez-Torres over four rounds.

Ballo, a decorated international amateur standout, will fight Brandan Ayala (2-0, 1 KO) in a four-round featherweight bout. The 22-year-old enters the paid ranks with an accomplished resume that includes wins over several of the nation’s elite.