Robert Garcia gave Xander Zayas’ handlers a pass.

If Garcia were working with the unbeaten WBO junior middleweight champion, he would keep Zayas away from Vergil Ortiz, too. As much as Ortiz’s trainer wants him to get a shot at Zayas’ title, he realizes that fight is entirely too risky at the moment for a developing, young champion who will become a much more polished product over the next couple years.

“Xander Zayas is a young, talented fighter who just became champion at 22,” Garcia told The Ring. “If I was controlling his career, as a trainer and manager, I would do the same thing. I have a really good relationship with Top Rank. And Top Rank is the best when it comes to developing a fighter and protecting him and taking care of their world champions, especially when they’re young and when they’re still developing.”

Garcia, himself a former IBF junior lightweight champ, considers Ortiz the best 154-pound boxer in the world. Ortiz only owns the WBC interim title, though, and Garcia doesn’t envision that changing anytime soon because he doesn’t expect fights with Zayas, the winner between WBC champ Sebastian Fundora and Keith Thurman, IBF champ Bakhram Murtazaliev or WBA champ Terence Crawford to happen.

Zayas (22-0, 13 KOs), of Sunrise, Florida, won the then-vacant WBO 154-pound crown when he handily defeated Mexico’s Jorge Garcia Perez (33-5, 26 KOs) on points July 26 in New York.

Ortiz (23-0, 21 KOs), of Grand Prairie, Texas, is scheduled to defend his WBC interim championship against Erickson Lubin (27-2, 19 KOs) on November 8 at Dickies Arena in Fort Worth, Texas.

Assuming the favored Ortiz beats Lubin, Garcia sees a fight with rival Jaron “Boots” Ennis as much more likely in 2026 than getting a shot at Zayas.

“Xander Zayas is a world champion now, but he’s still developing,” Garcia said. “At 22, he’s still not at his best. He still has a lot to improve and a lot to learn. I would do the same. I can’t blame them. I’m not gonna be mad at Top Rank. Or I’m not gonna be mad at his trainer. I’m not gonna be mad at his manager, Peter Kahn. Peter Kahn’s a good friend of mine."

The Ring ranks Ortiz first, Fundora second, Murtazaliev fourth, Lubin fifth and Zayas sixth in the junior middleweight division. The Ring’s 154-pound championship is vacant.