Unified junior middleweight champion Xander Zayas believes he has identified weaknesses in Jaron “Boots” Ennis that many boxing fans and media members have overlooked ahead of their June 27 unification clash at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Most observers view Ennis as the favorite going into the fight due to his size, athleticism, and knockout power. Zayas, however, says he sees flaws in the Philadelphia native’s game that give him confidence heading into the biggest fight of his career.
“He’s flat-footed. I mean, he knows it,” said Zayas on the AH Show when discussing Ennis’ style.
When it was suggested that Ennis might disagree with that assessment, Zayas stood firm.
“He knows it. He knows it. That’s why he works on it every day,” Zayas said.
Zayas also argued that Ennis is not as complete a fighter as many believe, comparing him to WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora, another fighter he feels receives more praise than criticism.
“There are a lot of flaws in his game that casual fans don’t see, but I do see,” said Zayas.
The 23-year-old Puerto Rican enters the bout with an unbeaten record of 23-0 with 13 knockouts and will be making the first defense of the WBA and WBO 154-pound titles he captured earlier this year. Ennis, 35-0 with 31 knockouts, moved up from welterweight after unifying titles at 147 and is seeking to become a unified champion in a second weight class.
Despite being viewed by many as the underdog, Zayas left little doubt about how he expects the fight to end.
“I’m going to win. I’m going to win like I always do,” said Zayas.
The winner of Saturday night’s DAZN PPV main event will leave Brooklyn with three of the four major titles at junior middleweight and take a major step toward becoming the division’s undisputed champion.
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Last Updated on 2026/06/22 at 7:40 PM
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