Ahead of his World Championship bout against Xander Zayas, “Boots” Ennis is extremely confident. The former champion believes he has the edge over his opponent in every aspect of the fight.
Jaron “Boots” Ennis is brimming with confidence. Ahead of his world title showdown against unified super welterweight world champion Xander Zayas on June 27 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, the American has made a clear statement: He intends to dominate the new weight class. The undefeated Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) is fighting at super welterweight for only the second time, but already feels much more comfortable there than he did at welterweight. Following his impressive first-round knockout of Uisma Lima, the former world champion now aims to capture Zayas’s WBA and WBO titles outright.
“I feel great in this weight class,” Ennis said confidently. “I’m more comfortable and can do whatever I want on June 27. Whatever he thinks he’s particularly good at—I can do it better. You can’t jab better than me. You’re not faster than me. You’re not stronger than me. There are different levels in this sport.” However, Xander Zayas (23-0, 13 KOs) poses a real challenge. The Puerto Rican was crowned unified world champion in January with a victory over Abass Baraou and is now defending his titles for the first time.
Ennis, however, sees this primarily as an opportunity. “I’m looking forward to fighting a man with two belts. Those titles are coming back to Philadelphia,” the 29-year-old announced. “It’s time to have some fun, look great, and head home with a spectacular knockout.” Ennis seems particularly motivated by the prospect of finally establishing himself as one of the best boxers in the world. “I’m the man in every weight class I box in. I feel like I’m taking over the sport—and it starts this Saturday. After that, you’ll hear the words: ‘And the new…’”
Text by Robin Josten