NEW YORK – Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis was not deterred by a smattering of Brooklyn boos as he hopped onto the scales for the ceremonial weigh-in at the plaza outside Saturday’s venue for his bout with Xander Zayas, the Barclays Center.
Philadelphia’s Ennis, who weighed 153lbs, challenges Zayas (153.9lbs) for his WBA and WBO junior middleweight titles.
“I’m going to put on a beautiful show and tomorrow you’re going to hear the words ‘and the new,’” said Ennis, who added that he was looking to be patient before concluding: “The knockout’s going to come if I do my thing.”
Unified champion Zayas was greeted by screeching cheers of approval, and he was clearly thriving in the atmosphere.
“I feel amazing,” he said. “I’m happy. I’m having fun and tomorrow you’ll hear ‘and still.’ That’s all that matters… I will show tomorrow why the 23-year-old is the unified champion. There’s a reason for it. I’m going to put on the best show of my life.”
Ennis and Zayas then shared a tense face-off that lasted more than a minute.
In the co-main event, upstate New Yorker Bryce Mills said his underdog victory over 22-year-old junior middleweight prospect Emiliano Vargas would be because “the hard work is already done. The fight is won in the training camp, tomorrow we go out in celebration, get that big W and have some fun.”
Vargas, well received by the crowd in the sweltering heat, said: “I’m excited. This will show the world that I’m ready for my world title. At the end of the day, Bryce Mills is in the way of my world title, and I’ve gotta stomp on him.”
At light heavyweight, England’s Ben Whittaker will hope to steal the show against Richard Rivera.
Rivera, from Connecticut and nicknamed Popeye, wore a sailor’s hat and held a pipe in his mouth as he weighed in.
“I feel like I’m living my dream… what I’m gonna do is what I’m gonna do,” he said.
Whittaker, for his part, said: “I feel good. He calls himself Popeye, he’s more like Olive Oyl. Tomorrow it’s work time. I feel like I’m better in every department.”
