Xander Zayas and Abass Baraou's highly anticipated WBO/WBA junior middleweight unification bout is set to air on the Top Rank Classics channel. The fight, scheduled for January 31st at the Coliseo Jose Miguel Agrelot in San Juan, Puerto Rico, will be broadcast live on the Top Rank Classics FAST channel. But here's where it gets controversial... The channel, which airs reruns of the Las Vegas-based promotion's biggest fights from years past, has sparked debate among boxing fans. Some argue that it's a great opportunity to relive classic fights, while others believe it's a step backward for the sport, missing out on the excitement of live, new fights. The broadcast will begin at 5:30 p.m. ET and will also include a welterweight fight between Rohan Polanco and Christian Gomez. Zayas, 22-0 (13 KOs), will be fighting for the first time in his native Puerto Rico since his fourth pro fight in 2020, and is making the first defense of his WBO 154lbs title. The 23-year-old Zayas defeated Jorge Garcia in his last fight, in July, by unanimous decision to win the vacant belt. Baraou, 17-1 (9 KOs), is also making his first appearance as a WBA 154lbs champion, having defeated Yoenis Tellez by unanimous decision in August. Other fights slated for the card include Juanmita Lopez De Jesus vs. Conner Goade; Carlo De Leon Castro vs. Diuhl Olguin; Yadriel Caban vs. Jeremis Hernandez-Torres; Euri Cedeno vs. Etoundi Michel William; and Giovani Santillan vs. Courtney Pennington. Zayas-Baraou is the latest show for Top Rank to air on their own platform following the expiration of their output deal with ESPN last year. In November, the company also aired the WBO featherweight title fight between Rafael Espinoza and Arnold Khegai on their Classics channel. So, what do you think? Is the Top Rank Classics channel a welcome addition to the boxing world, or a step backward? Share your thoughts in the comments below!
