Key Fight Facts
- Official Kick-Off: Xander Zayas will defend his unified WBO and WBA World Junior Middleweight titles against Jaron “Boots” Ennis on Saturday, June 27, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, airing live on DAZN PPV.
- High-Stakes Unification: This bout represents a unification clash between undefeated top talents in their prime. For Zayas, the fight offers a chance to cement his status as a Latin crossover star. Ennis takes a direct path to becoming a unified champion in a second weight class, gaining mainstream visibility.
- Zayas and Ennis needled each other in their first press appearance together and launched the psychological battle ahead of their fight date on June 27.
On Wednesday in Brooklyn at Barclays Center, WBO and WBA Junior Middleweight World Champion Xander Zayas of Puerto Rico (23-0, 13 KOs) and challenger Jaron “Boots” Ennis of Philadelphia (35-0, 31 KOs) had plenty to say to each other about their unexpected but highly anticipated title fight on June 27.
The fight will stream live and exclusively on DAZN PPV, promoted by Matchroom Boxing USA in association with Top Rank.
Ennis will attempt to prove himself as a top talent of this generation by winning titles in a second division against the the 23-year-old Zayas, who unified titles earlier this year in Puerto Rico in a split decision with Abass Baraou.
The win made Zayas the youngest unified champion in boxing and the first Puerto Rican to unify at super welterweight.
Spicy Start to the Zayas vs Boots Promotion
Emcee Chris Mannix barely needed to intervene once the fighters were introduced. Ennis taunted Zayas about the nature of the purse split, saying Zayas refused to agree to a 55 to 45 percent split to the winner because he didn’t believe in himself.
Ennis went on to accuse Zayas of requesting a fight date in late June because he needs to have a “fat camp” to make weight, and admonished Zayas that he’ll get hurt because he has no head movement.
“I’ve watched you fight several times. You do not move your noggin, bro. You get hit with clean flush shots.
“Listen, though, you’re getting better, yes. It’s levela, bro, and I’m gonna really show you, all right, I’m really gonna show you. Please work on moving your head, though.”
The Champ Claps Back
“I have two belts. I’m the only one that has two belts in the division. You want these, I don’t need to fight you. I could have fought anybody else,” said Zayas. He’s right about this. Choosing to take Ennis when he didn’t need to risk his titles is what generated so much fan excitement – at least, after everyone including his team got over the shock of it.
Top Rank president Todd DuBoef said he’s seen the progression in Zayas since he signed with the promoter at age 17.
“We got Xander when he was so young … To see him physically mature, to see his intellect in the ring, to get used to the ups and downs, and then once you win that title, you just expand your horizon, you get more confidence. He had so much confidence, he goes after the boogieman, the guy that nobody wants to fight. We’re not holding him back. We’re letting the race car go.”
Trainer Javiel Centeno also had to get over his initial surprise at the matchup.
“We’ve talked about Jaron Ennis in the past, and we’ve watched his fights, seen him come along. We’ve always been in agreement on things we’ve seen that we can take advantage of.
“He said this is the time to do it, and as a team, we decided to take this fight. The growth in his boxing IQ has compounded one championship after the next. I’ve seen it in the gym, and he’s proven it in the ring. Just that alone gave me the feeling he can get that done.”
Bozy Ennis Backs His Fighter’s Skills
Across the ring will be Ennis’s trainer, his father, Bozy Ennis. He complimented Zayas as a good fighter on Wednesday.
“I think [Zayas] bit off too much. One thing about Boots, he can box, and he can fight you inside. It don’t matter which way you’re coming. And he can punch. It’s going to be a good fight, as long as it lasts. Remember that: as long as it lasts.”
“You’ll see when the time comes. He’s a good boxer. He does it all. This is what I want him to do. I want [Zayas] to take Boots to another level because Boots has so many different levels he can get to. Y’all just seen a little bit. I want somebody to bring it out of him, and I think he’s the guy that can probably do it.”
Eddie Hearn Relieved to Get The Fight Across the Finish Line
The happiest man in the Barclays Center was Matchroom Sport chairman Eddie Hearn. He expected to put together the megafight in the works for months between Ennis and top talent Vergil Ortiz Jr. When the fight fell apart due to Ortiz Jr.’s legal spat with promoter Oscar De La Hoya, Ennis was left without a dance partner. Enter Zayas, who seized the initiative.
“I still can’t believe it,” said Hearn. “The great news is, thanks to the DAZN partnership with Top Rank, we started talking and all of a sudden we said, ‘I think we can make Xander Zayas versus Jaron Boots Ennis.’
Hearn said Zayas deserves all the credit for stepping up. “He must have a massive set of cojones because what’s about to happen on June 27th is one of the toughest tasks in boxing.”
Hearn said he had his doubts Zayas would actually close the deal. “This kid is 23, and he’s one of the hottest young stars in the sport. I would be keeping him away from Jaron. If I represented Xander Zayas, there is no way I would let him take this fight.
“I’d be saying, ‘Listen, we’ll go to MSG, we’ll fill that out, and we’ll do another homecoming fight in Puerto Rico. We’ll have Bad Bunny singing you out.
“But this fight is what boxing needs,” said Hearn, calling it the fight of the year from his perspective, saying Ennis needs to go and prove himself on a big stage on June 27.
Xander Zayas: ‘It’s Always Been About Legacy’
Zayas explains why the fight with Ennis had to happen.
“It’s always been about legacy. Becoming the youngest world champion at 22 when I did it: legacy. Youngest unified world champion: legacy. And now fighting one of the best in the world in the division.
“It’s about legacy. Anybody could have taken the easy route and just get an easy win and that’s it. I want to fight the best. I want to show that I’m the best every time I step into the ring. And that’s what I’m going to do on June 27.” Zayas said Ennis has never faced an athletic fighter like him.
“I never go out there looking for the knockout. But I promise I’m going to rip his heart out. I guarantee you that. He’s going to be uncomfortable. I’m going to show you come June 27,” said Zayas.
“I think Xander bit off way more than he can chew,” insisted Ennis. “Come fight night, he’ll see. I’m going to show everyone that I’m the best in the world.
“You can watch me all day, but when you get in the ring, it’s a whole different story. I’m faster than you think. I’m stronger and I have a better IQ, too. He’s going to be in for a long night.”
Big Stakes Worth the Risk
For once, the comments from everyone involved can’t overstate the matchup or the stakes.
As we wrote when the fight was first announced, observers wondered why Top Rank would allow Zayas to risk his belts when he’s drawing big crowds for his fights among his Puerto Rican and New York fans?
It’s a genius move by the 23-year-old, who has to press to make it happen. At 23 and 5-foot-10, Zayas is not struggling to make the 154-pound weight limit in the least. But he is fighting in one of boxing’s most competitive divisions. If Zayas defeats Boots Ennis, his road to unification still runs through WBC World champion Sebastian Fundora, and that’s a problem.
If he loses, he can move up to the middleweight division, where there is a lack of top-tier talent and a clear path to winning titles in a second weight division before hitting his mid-20s. This is how a fighter develops a Hall of Fame resume.
Ennis had to be willing, though, and fortunately, he was. He will be the oddsmakers’ favorite to win. The pressure will be on him to prove the excellence so many people have watched him develop. A sharply prepared Ennis will be dangerous and motivated.
In just his second fight in the division and in just his second round when the opening bell rings, Ennis can become a unified champion, just like that. It’s a big step along his own road to the Hall of Fame.
Ennis was smart not to wait around for Ortiz Jr. He will capture a big payday and boost his reputation.
No matter what the outcome of Zayas vs Boots is on June 27, boxing fans are all winners. Boxing’s health in the U.S. is a bit fragile. Zayas vs Ennis gives American boxing a massive shot of adrenaline.
Gayle Falkenthal is an award-winning boxing journalist with more than four dozen awards for both written and video coverage from the Boxing Writers Association of America, Society of Professional Journalists, and San Diego Press Club, where she is the past president. She is the only woman journalist who is a full voting member of the BWAA. She is the Boxing Editor for NY Fights based in San Diego, California.