Boxing had a surprisingly deep involvement in Super Bowl LX on Sunday at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. There was, of course, the Mike Tyson ad, promoting healthy eating habits. And then, Puerto Rican rapper and singer Bad Bunny’s halftime show featured two boxers, Xander Zayas and Emiliano Vargas, from Latin America representing their countries.

Zayas and Vargas wore the colours of their respective countries, Puerto Rico and Mexico, as they smashed gloves in a pretend fight. Meanwhile, Bad Bunny walked underneath their gloves, singing his 2022 hit song ‘Tití Me Preguntó.’ Bunny has been in the middle of a political debate due to his prior comments about ICE. Naturally, his show made its way on social media. 

Bob Arum praises Xander Zayas and Emiliano Vargas

Happy Punch shared a clip of the moment on X, with the caption, “Boxers Xander Zayas and Emiliano Vargas in Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show.” Meanwhile, Top Rank head Bob Arum, who promotes both fighters, expressed its pride in seeing the pair on stage with Bunny. “It was a very special moment to see two of our young stars, Xander Zayas and Emiliano Fernando Vargas, make appearances during Bad Bunny’s performance,” Arum said. 

“The Super Bowl halftime show is one of the biggest stages in the world, and opportunities like this help raise their profiles not just within boxing, but beyond the sport as well,” he added. It’s worth noting that Xander Zayas, the current WBA and WBO super welterweight champion, is no stranger to collaborating with Bad Bunny. He signed with Bunny’s marketing company, Rimas Sports, last year. 

Not to mention, Bunny and Zayas come from the same island of Puerto Rico. The undefeated super welterweight star is among the three Puerto Rican boxers represented by Bunny’s firm. Others collaborating with Bunny are unified strawweight champion Oscar Collazo and rising bantamweight star Juanmita Lopez. Zayas is coming off a unification bout against Abass Baraou, which he won via split decision last month. 

Meanwhile, Emiliano Vargas defeated Jonathan Montrel via unanimous decision late last year. And he is even scheduled to face Agustin Ezequiel Quintana later this month at Desert Diamond Arena, Glendale. Vargas and Zayas appearance on stage only boosted their popularity, as Bunny is almost every year the most-streamed artist across the internet. So, many would see this as a good thing, right? Well, the reception was divided.

Performance from Bad Bunny is branded ‘garbage’

Initial reactions from fans celebrated Zayas and Vargas. “Did you guys see @XanderZayas and Emiliano Vargas with Bad Bunny?!!!!!! LETS GOOOOOO!!!!!” the user commented. Mostly, only the top names in boxing get such attention from fans, so it was a good change to see rising stars on such a big stage. 

Another user seemed excited about their involvement. “Xander Zayas and Emiliano Vargas [are] bringing extra energy to Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl Halftime Show!” the user wrote. Perhaps Bad Bunny could return the favor by assisting them during their ringwalks in future fights. 

Meanwhile, Bad Bunny revived a not-so-great reception. “Americans during the halftime show,” the user commented while sharing an image of a man who seemed annoyed. Jake Paul, who has been a Donald Trump supporter for a while, asked his fans to boycott the show entirely. 

Another user didn’t seem to have liked the show. “Garbage lmao he was off tune & sucks live,” the user wrote. It wasn’t just Jake—even his brother, Logan Paul, claimed he was not looking forward to Bunny’s halftime show. 

The next user lamented, however. “Bru, I missed this,” the user claimed. But there’s plenty of footage available on social media. 

From the looks of things, fans loved Xander Zayas and Emiliano Vargas during the halftime show. However, the main attraction, Bad Bunny, faced some backlash. What did you make of the show?