The two fighters are familiar with each other, having sparred about 80 rounds earlier in their careers, which helps explain why the fight was made. That habit does not make it any less difficult. Sparring is being conducted, trainers are stepping in and the pace is going down after being seen, situations that don’t exist in a boxing match.
Those rounds also came in previous years. Baraou wasn’t completely focused on the aggressive style he now relies on, and Zayas wasn’t asked to go twelve rounds against an opponent who refused to give up. What works in the gym doesn’t always stop when the rounds go on without a hitch.
Baraou fights on his terms, walks forward while throwing, continues to work when shots are light, and stays at a distance rather than resetting after single punches or combinations. He accepts contact if he is allowed to stay close and keep working, a way to force opponents to react every round.
Zayas win battles through timing, position, and control rather than strength. Against someone who is ready to step in, that control must be maintained, because any failure will return to the ground and invite pressure.
The fight will take place at the Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, where Zayas will have a familiar home crowd behind him. The power of the crowd will not deter a determined fighter if he commits to staying inside. If home fights play a role, it’s more apparent later, when rounds are tight and judges separate clean scores from consistent advances.
Zayas was carefully guided from the beginning of his professional career, and that path was carefully monitored. If this fight goes too far and leaves room for controversy, it will fold in the way his career has been monitored and evaluated so far.
This fight puts Zayas in front of a champion who is already ready to take risks from the opening bell, giving him some room to settle into the fight. How he handles the constant pressure here will shape how this stage of his career looks when the points are counted.