Xander Zayas and Jaron “Boots” Ennis will face the toughest tests of their unbeaten careers when they collide for Zayas’ WBA and WBO super welterweight world titles on Sunday morning (AEST).
Zayas and Ennis are a combined 58-0 with 44 of those wins coming by way of knockout. The native of Puerto Rico is only 23 years of age, while Ennis is 28. Each guy hasn’t reached their primes and are already building Hall of Fame resumes.
Zayas v Ennis | Sunday June 28 from 8am AEST | New York City plays host to a scintillating matchup at super welterweight, as unified champion Xander Zayas looks to defend his WBO and WBA titles against pound-for-pound star Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis. | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports.
The super welterweight division is one of the deepest in boxing, with Zayas, Ennis, Vergil Ortiz Jr., WBC titlist Sebastian Fundora, IBF champion Josh Kelly, Tim Tszyu, and, debuting at the weight class, former three-belt welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr.
Many believe the winner will emerge as the division’s No. 1 fighter – a claim neither man shied away from at Thursday’s final press conference.
“I’m the best 154-pounder in the world,” Zayas declared when asked by DAZN’s Chris Mannix what people would be saying after the fight.
“That’s what it’s all about. Legacy. Keep building that legacy. Keep building the history. Keep building the resume. And Saturday night, after the fight, everybody’s gonna say I’m the best 154-pounder in the world.”
“Most definitely,” Ennis told Mannix when asked the same question.
“On Saturday night, they’re going to be like, ‘Man, we never seen nothing like it’. These guys can’t do what I do. Carry it like I carry it. And I’m gonna show the world there’s really levels.
“On Saturday night, you will hear the words, and new unified WBO/WBA super welterweight champion of the world, Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.”
Ennis enters the blockbuster as a clear betting favourite, with many pundits believing the Philadelphia star’s size, speed and power will prove too much for the Puerto Rican.
But if the Philadelphia fighter is to be believed, the odds still aren’t lopsided enough.
“Like I said before, he’s a solid fighter,” Ennis said of his opponent.
“You know, he a champion for a reason.
You know, but it’s just levels. And I’m gonna show [it] come Saturday night and show my skills and my ability.
“I cannot wait. I’m trying to tell y’all. I cannot wait.”
If Ennis was confident, his dad and longtime trainer Derek “Bozy” Ennis was even more emphatic, predicting a KO.
“I like Xander,” said Bozy.
“I always liked Xander’s style. I like the way he box. I like the way he fight. Xander, he have a lotta heart, man.
“Any time you’re taking a fight with Boots, and don’t care … with who he is and [everything] like that, I respect him for that. You know?
“And like I said, Boots is on another level. Nobody has seen everything that Boots can do.”
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Matchmaker Robert Diaz says fight fans are in for a classic.
“There’s no such thing as the perfect fighter, but, at this point, we haven’t seen any weakness from ‘Boots.’ The guy is the real deal. ‘Boots’ is that good, similar to, and maybe better than [Terence] Crawford,” Diaz said.
“Zayas is very determined, and a fighter daring to be great is always dangerous.
“I guarantee we have a classic on our hands, a can’t miss fight.
“One of the things that made Thomas Hearns so exciting was his kill-or-be-killed attitude. That’s something ‘Boots’ gravitates to. He goes for the knockout, but that is a vulnerability.
“Xander is a big, strong kid. The key here is you have two young fighters who want to be great and don’t know how to lose yet.”
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Australia’s Tim Tszyu is also backing Ennis.
“I’ve got Boots,” he told reporter Jai McAllister earlier this year.
“He’s too skillful. IQ level. How quick he is. I think he’s levels above.”
Former world champ Errol Spence shares that view.
“Ive got Boots winning,” he told a group of reporters this week.
Parts of this story first appeared on DAZN News.