Ennis is set to face Zayas on June 27 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn in a fight that will see two of boxing’s brightest young talents battle for unified honors at junior middleweight. Ahead of the contest, Andrade was brought in to give Ennis different looks in sparring.
The experience only strengthened Andrade’s belief that Ennis has what it takes to remain among the sport’s elite for years to come.
“He’s in great shape, man. I’ve always been a big fan of his,” Andrade said to YSM Sports Media. “I’ve been watching him a long time. Been wanting him to do his thing, and it was nice, so I can give him some type of looks and just pressure on his upcoming fight against Xander.”
“I think Boots has everything it takes to stay on the game, stay on top of the game for a long time.”
When asked to pick a winner between the two unbeaten champions, Andrade made it clear where his allegiance lies.
“I’m team Boots, so I believe he’s going to pull it off,” Demetrius said. “I think he has every attribute to win. Zayas ain’t no pushover either. He ain’t no pushover fight, but I believe that he has what it takes to close the gap in the later rounds of the fight.”
Andrade pointed to Ennis’ athleticism and natural ability as the factors that could prove decisive as the fight wears on.
“I think just the speed, the skill, his explosiveness, and he got good reflexes,” Andrade said. “He’s springy. So, it’s really nice to see that. And I’ve been watching him do that for a long time.”
The 38-year-old also enjoyed the opportunity to test himself against one of the sport’s rising stars despite being in the latter stages of his own career.
“It was fun,” Andrade said. “I had fun in there with him.”
With Andrade now having experienced Ennis’ abilities firsthand in training camp, the former world champion believes Boots possesses the speed, skill, and explosiveness needed to emerge victorious in one of the year’s most anticipated fights.
