Wherever Abass Baraou went as he grew into a teenager, trouble wasn’t far behind.

Baraou often found himself fighting in the streets and at school. Then, one day, the youth center next to where Baraou lived in Oberhausen, Germany, Haus der Jugend am John-Lennon-Platz, introduced boxing.

As Baraou landed combinations on the heavy bag, his potential immediately caught the eye of Momi Guettari, who was the coach in attendance. Guettari convinced the 13-year-old to take up the sport. He wasn’t fully bought in immediately, though, because Baraou found it boring.

It wasn’t until one day that Baraou walked past a boxing gym and saw the discipline and skill of a group of young boxers. He didn’t just find the urge to start boxing; he was motivated to become better than them.

“When I passed by the gym, I got in touch with boxing,” Baraou told The Ring. “I introduced myself to boxing [and] what it was really about. I wanted to be good at what I'm doing, so I pursued a dream.

"The goal was to become a role model for myself. I can't really connect with any of the stars, so I was like I have to grow into a good role model."

Baraou’s pursuit brought him to the precipice of the sport, and he’ll have his chance to further fulfill it when he faces Xander Zayas in his hometown in a 154-pound unification title bout on Jan. 31 at Coliseo de Puerto Rico in San Juan. Baraou (17-1, 9 KOs) will be putting his WBA title on the line, while Zayas’ WBO belt will be at stake.

Baraou, 31, is coming off a unanimous decision upset of Yoenis Tellez to become the interim WBA champion on Aug. 23. He was elevated to full titlist on Sept. 13 after the previous beltholder, Terence Crawford, vacated when he moved up to 168 to face Canelo Alvarez.

The victory over Tellez represents the pinnacle of what had been a long and winding road for Baraou.

Baraou climbed the amateur ranks with Guettari alongside him until he joined the German National Team. He missed out on the Rio 2016 Olympics, but went on to win a gold medal in the European championships and bronze in the World Championship at welterweight in 2017.

Rather than wait for another shot at the Olympics in 2020, he turned pro two years earlier.

Baraou notched a German title in his second fight and a secondary WBC belt in his fifth. After beginning 9-0, he had his first significant test against countryman Jack Culcay in an IBF title eliminator in 2020. After a nip and tuck battle, Baraou lost a razor-thin split decision.

While that delayed his chance at bursting onto the world title scene, Baraou felt encouraged by the effort he put forth against the much more experienced Culcay.

“It was a close fight, and I did very well, and still, I knew that I could have done way better,” Baraou said. “It all proved to me that I'm way stronger than what I showed and that I can really make it further than this point. All this fight gave me was good motivation.”

Baraou, however, didn’t immediately get his chance to redeem himself against Culcay or an opponent at a similar level.

Baraou’s path was a bumpy one marred by long layoffs as he struggled to get fights. He didn’t return to the ring for nearly 13 months after the loss to Culcay, and it wasn’t until 2024 that he found himself in another bout of significance.

He marched into enemy territory and won the vacant European super welterweight title via majority decision against Sam Eggington in the United Kingdom and returned later that year for his lone title defense, defeating Macaulay McGowan by unanimous decision.

Another year-plus layoff followed as difficulties in finding an opponent persisted. Then, the chance Baraou long sought had arrived.

He was offered a fight against Tellez, a rapidly ascending and undefeated Cuban fighter who held the interim WBA title. With Crawford clearly having no intention of coming back to 154, the bout was, for all intents and purposes, for the world title.

“As soon as the fight was made, I was like, ‘All right, that's the road now.’ I was more relieved that I got the opportunity, and I knew that I was waiting so long for it, and I knew exactly what I needed to do.

"Everything felt so easy. The training, focusing on the fight, going out there, everything felt like I just walked down the road because I've been doing the work in the gym for so long, and it was time to take the prize."

He went back and forth with Tellez for 11 rounds. With the fight seemingly up for grabs entering the final round and a feeling that he couldn’t trust the judges, Baraou knew he had to find another gear to leave no doubt.

With just more than one minute left, Baraou sent Tellez reeling to the ropes with a blistering combination. Seconds before the final bell, Baraou dropped him to effectively cap the upset.

“It had a lot of weight to it,” Baraou said of the win. “Being an underdog, being overlooked so much and the whole story to it. Things I had to overcome to stand in the ring that day, [and] proving a lot of people wrong. I didn't even have it in mind. I just wanted to win.

"It means so much, and it's one of my favorite memories in boxing so far. I enjoyed every bit of it. Every little piece to this fight is one of my favorite moments.”

After the fight, Baraou held back tears and his voice broke as he tried to explain the magnitude of his victory and what it meant to him. Not long afterwards, his next challenge was already in the ring.

Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs) was in attendance, and he stood face to face with Baraou, foreshadowing what would come next. A unification bout between the newly crowned champions was official.

Baraou and Zayas have spent multiple training camps and numerous rounds sparring each other in South Florida, though, both have admitted that experience is a stark contrast to a fight. While having to march into a hostile environment for a chance to leave as a unified champion would add more fuel for most, Baraou is only being pushed by one thing.

“The second belt is motivation enough,” he said. “I see the unification, I see the opportunity and I see one man who's standing in my way. That's all I see.”

The circumstances aren’t too dissimilar to what Baraou faced against Tellez. He’s a clear underdog again in a bout that’ll likely come down to his relentless pressure and work on the inside vs. Zayas’ technical prowess and boxing ability.

Through the ups and downs, Baraou has found fulfillment and feels that this fight can solidify him as one of boxing’s best junior middleweights.

“It will mean that I'm finally ready to step into my shoes,” he said of what it’d mean to become a unified champion. “It will mean that I will go way farther than anyone ever thought of me. I feel like I'm going to surprise the whole boxing world.”

Baraou believes he will have become the fighter and person the 13-year-old who put on a pair of gloves for the first time in a youth center in Oberhausen can admire.

“It's a story that motivates me because it's a great thing I'm doing here, even for Germany," he said. "I'm writing history. I’m doing stuff that you can be really proud of.

"Being able to be in my position right now makes my whole story legendary to me. When I lie down and think about it, even if it wasn't me, it's something you can be proud of. It's a role model type of story, and I feel like the little AB will be very proud to see how far we have come.”