“All the fighters that he has knocked out, all the fighters that he has fought in the last 10 fights where he actually started fighting big names, they’re all tailor-made for him,” Zayas said to Fight Hub TV. “None of those fighters fight like me.”
Zayas said that many of Ennis’ recent rivals were smaller pressure fighters who had to come forward, which he views as a favorable look for Ennis.
“I’m a boxer-puncher. I know how to counter. I know how to use my speed. I know how to use my jab,” Zayas said.
The 23-year-old also argued that Ennis had more difficulty when facing opponents who could operate at range, referencing past criticism of the Karen Chukhadzhian fights.
“When he did have a guy that was able to fight on the outside, he struggled,” Zayas said.
The Karen Chukhadzhian rematch in late 2024 was a massive eye-opener for anyone who thought Boots was an invincible boogeyman. While Ennis got the decision, he looked human. He was getting tagged with clean shots, his face was marked up, and he seemed to lose his composure trying to force a knockout that never came.
Zayas is smart to capitalize on that narrative. Looking at Ennis’ resume, you can see why Xander feels this way. Most of the guys Boots has flattened, like Roiman Villa or even Eimantas Stanionis, were essentially walking into his range. They weren’t giving him many lateral movement puzzles to solve.
Xander is betting that his boxing IQ and length will frustrate Ennis the same way Chukhadzhian did, but with the added threat of his own power. If Ennis hasn’t tightened up that defensive carelessness he showed in his last few fights, Zayas might be the one to finally make him pay for it.
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