Unified WBO and WBA junior middleweight champion Xander Zayas (23-0, 13 KOs) is in search of greatness, wanting to be considered among the best of the best. On Saturday, June 27, he takes on the biggest challenge of his career by defending his titles against a boxer considered by many as elite, former lineal welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs). The winner of the match will have an argument for the top fighter in the division.
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The young 23-year-old Xander has been on a steady progression, having significantly stepped up the level of his competition in his last two matches. Fighting in consecutive title fights.
First defeating Jorge Garcia Perez for the vacant WBO junior middleweight championship and then unifying the WBA title against Abass Baraou. The title matches were the first 12-rounders of his career. He was tested by both, but none more so than by Baraou, who landed the most by a Zayas opponent, 134 punches.
Abass had some familiarity with Xander, having previously sparred 80 rounds against him, and knew where potential weaknesses existed. When pressed with the right amount of pressure, Zayas tends to get defensively sloppy. His footwork suffers, and he can get caught during angle changes. He must do much better against Boots, who has great speed and agility.
Xander believes he can outbox Jaron at mid to long range due to what he perceives as a poor performance by Boots in the first Karen Chukhadzhian match. Zayas believes Ennis struggled to close the distance, effectively telling Showbizz The Adult in “Run the Tape” he feels Boots is slick in short to mid-range but struggles at long range. Perception can sometimes be deceiving, though.
That was Jaron’s first fight to go the distance at twelve rounds. It may not have been his most dominant performance as Karen chose to limit the exchanges, but he did manage to outland him 203 to 97. Holding Chukhadzhian to a lowly 16.9 percent connect percentage.
In comparison, Zayas had two 12-round matches, and both went the distance. Statistically, they were much closer than the Ennis-Chukhadzhian match as Xander defeated his opponents by closer margins, outlanding Perez by 69 and Baraou by 42 punches (Compubox).
Although Xander may be athletic and strong, it may not be enough against a fighter of the caliber of Boots. He’s facing a superb fighter who poses a challenge for anyone. Jaron is extremely skillful, having the ability to box in both the orthodox and southpaw stances. When comparing speed, agility, elusiveness, and experience, Ennis would hold the edge in all those categories.
He also sports an 88.57 percent knockout rate, making Boots the most dangerous
fighter Zayas has ever faced. Ennis is a complete boxer, and he’ll exploit Xander’s weaknesses by utilizing applied pressure to create openings.
If he attacks the body, Boots will be able to slow Zayas down and limit his mobility. The jab will be key for Jaron; he must land it effectively to be able to disrupt Xander’s rhythm and make it difficult for him.
Although he chose the fight in pursuit of greatness, it may be too soon against someone as skillful as Boots. This has been the fight Jaron has been waiting for, and now that it’s here, he’ll seek to capitalize on the opportunity and show the world he is special.
Last Updated on 2026/06/27 at 6:42 PM
