The Oberhausen native was defeated by WBO world champion Xander Zayas.
Professional boxer Abass Baraou has missed out on a historic title unification. On Saturday night in Puerto Rico’s capital San Juan, the Oberhausen native lost on points to undefeated local hero and WBO world champion Xander Zayas, thereby losing his WBA super welterweight world title.
The judges were divided, with two scoring the fight 116-112 in favor of Zayas and one scoring it in favor of Baraou with the same points. Baraou thus missed the chance to become only the third German after Sven Ottke and Dariusz Michalczewski to hold the belts of two major associations at the same time. It was the second defeat in 19 professional fights for the 31-year-old. After winning European gold and World Championship bronze as an amateur, Baraou turned professional in 2018. There, he also became European champion in 2024, and in August of last year, he secured the WBA interim world title with a points victory over Cuba’s Yoenis Tellez. When superstar Terence Crawford relinquished his world title shortly thereafter, Baraou was promoted.
