XANDER ZAYAS RISKS WBO AND WBA GOLD AGAINST ELITE POUND-FOR-POUND STAR JARON BOOTS ENNIS
Jaron "Boots" Ennis jumps to 154 pounds to challenge undefeated Xander Zayas for the WBO/WBA titles this June in Brooklyn.
Ennis moves up to 154 pounds as Zayas puts both his WBO and WBA junior middleweight titles on the line June 27 in Brooklyn. Whoever wins this one isn’t just grabbing two belts; they’re taking over the whole division.
Zayas, still undefeated at 23-0 with 13 knockouts, sees this as the moment he's always chased. “Long before I was a world champion, I wanted the toughest fights,” he said. “I never turned down a challenge and always wanted to test myself. Now, as the unified champ, I get to defend my titles against one of the biggest names out there. I’ve always believed in myself. On June 27, I’ll show everyone just how far that can take you.”
Ennis comes in with a record of 35-0 and 31 knockouts, and he’s dangerous because he doesn’t just hit hard; he’s quick, he thinks fast, and he knows how to break guys down, just like he did at welterweight. His first fight at 154 proved he’s bringing the same style: sharp counters, quick hands, and no fear of going right up the middle. He’s ready for a big night. “Time to step up and collect these belts! Knocking them down one by one! #AndTheNew, Ennis said.
What makes Ennis tough? He likes to let his opponents throw first, then he explodes with speed; a straight right lands, an uppercut sneaks in, and then combinations fly once you start reacting. That’s where he’s at his best. Zayas can’t fall into that trap. He needs that jab pumping, controlling the space, stepping in, but keeping his feet under him. If he digs into the body early, he might just slow Ennis down and take some power off those punches.
Ennis, though, isn’t going to sit back. He’ll use feints, bait Zayas into opening up, and fire counters as soon as he’s got a read. If he figures out the timing, it only takes one clean shot to flip the fight.
Top Rank president Todd duBoef knows what’s at stake for Zayas. “Facing the best has always been Xander’s priority, and ‘Boots’ Ennis is the next big test. This is exactly the type of matchup where
JAKE PAUL TARGETS FRANCIS NGANNOU FOR "UNCONSCIOUS" KNOCKOUT IN HEAVYWEIGHT CROSSOVER CLASH
Jake Paul labels Francis Ngannou a "terrible boxer" as the two MVP stars trade heated insults over a potential heavyweight bout.
Jake Paul thinks Francis Ngannou wouldn’t step into the ring with him because he’s scared of getting embarrassed. He’s been pretty vocal about it, even calling Ngannou “terrible” and claiming he’d knock him out.
Paul’s been out of action since Anthony Joshua knocked him out last December. That was a rough fight. He ended up in the hospital with a double jaw fracture; he needed titanium plates in his mouth and couldn’t eat anything solid for a week. And after cheering on his fiancée, Jutta Leerdam, at the Winter Olympics, he had to go through a second surgery in February. Honestly, that’s a lot for anyone.
He hasn’t said when he’ll return to boxing, but if he does, he wants a crossover bout with Ngannou. That’s his next target.
Ngannou’s been all over the map in the past couple of years. He left the UFC in 2023, joined the PFL, but only fought once before both sides decided to go their separate ways. In boxing, he faced Tyson Fury and Joshua, but that last fight didn’t go his way. Joshua knocked him out in the second round in Riyadh.
Even with Ngannou’s loss, Paul is itching for a fight. He told Sky Sports he’s got a long list of opponents but called out Ngannou specifically, saying, "He’s a terrible boxer. I want to go back up to heavyweight, knock him out as Joshua did, and render him unconscious. " Paul claims he lasted longer against Joshua and didn’t get knocked out cold, so he figures Ngannou’s avoiding him to dodge humiliation.
Ngannou wasn’t having any of it. After signing with Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions in March, Ngannou is gearing up for Netflix’s first MMA card on May 16, fighting Philipe Lins. Talking to TMZ, he said he wants to “slap” Paul, whether it’s in a boxing ring or in the cage: “I just feel like I need to give him some slaps. That’s how I feel, you know, like slapping him off.”
XANDER ZAYAS EMERGES AS TOP TARGET FOR JARON ENNIS’S NEXT MAJOR SHOWDOWN
Eddie Hearn confirms Jaron "Boots" Ennis is in talks to fight Xander Zayas in June after the Vergil Ortiz deal collapsed.
Eddie Hearn just shared that Jaron “Boots” Ennis’s next fight is around the corner, with talks heating up for a showdown with Xander Zayas.
After unifying the WBA and IBF welterweight belts against Eimantas Stanionis back in April 2025, Ennis jumped to 154 pounds. He took on Uisma Lima in his debut at that weight and sailed through, which got fans buzzing about a possible match with Vergil Ortiz Jr.
Matchroom and Golden Boy Promotions started negotiating for Ennis-Ortiz, but things got messy. Ortiz’s manager, Rick Mirigian, wasn’t happy with the purse Golden Boy offered, sparking tension between Ortiz and his promoter. Ortiz declared himself a free agent, filed a lawsuit against Golden Boy, and tried to strike a deal with Ennis on his own.
Golden Boy responded by getting a restraining order to stop Ortiz from negotiating elsewhere, putting those talks to bed. So Hearn began looking elsewhere, and now Zayas, who holds the WBA and WBO titles, is in the mix. With Top Rank announcing a broadcast partnership with DAZN and Matchroom already tied to DAZN, lining up Zayas vs Ennis looks easier than ever.
“We’re definitely talking,” Hearn told BoxingScene. “Honestly, we were so close to getting the Ortiz fight. We even started planning media tours; it was that far along. Now, with DAZN and Top Rank teaming up and our good relationship with Top Rank, we’ve started chatting with Xander Zayas. No media tour this time, but I think that fight could be just as good as the Ortiz one. Zayas is right there.”
He also mentioned Josh Kelly, the IBF champ at 154, saying it’s been a frustrating stretch for Ennis. “Boots was supposed to fight in April or May; now it’s looking like June. But I guarantee he’ll get a big fight next. By the end of next week, we’ll make a decision; Boots’s fight is imminent.”
If Zayas and Ennis do end up facing each other, that could leave Kelly without an opponent for his first title defence. After beating Bakhram Murtazaliev in January, Kelly said he wanted a unification bout with Zayas.
“Yeah, Kelly’s still up for it, and Zayas likes the idea too,” Hearn said. “But honestly, there’s a lot of money in Boots vs Zayas. Kelly could fight Boots as well, and that could happen. I’m fine with Kelly taking a voluntary defence; he just beat Murtazaliev. What more can you ask for? Murtazaliev, then Boots? That’s a tough path, so we’ll see. But Kelly is up for big fights as well. Conversations are ongoing, and it’s a top priority.”
