Xander Zayas vs Jaron Ennis

It would be stupid to think that Xander Zayas, at the age of 23 years old, is not a big danger to the supremely talented Jaron Ennis. The 23-year-old Puerto Rican who makes his home in Sunrise, Florida, has done everything asked of him in his 23-fight career. His last win over Abbas Baraou showed that he has world-level talent, and the WBO and WBA titles that he’s collected have cemented his place on the 154-pound world stage. But in Ennis, he meets what many of us believe to be a generational talent. A fighter who will go through weight divisions and clean up in the way that the greats such as Crawford, Mayweather, Leonard, Hearns, and Duran have done in the past. 

Many have pointed to the fact that 'Boots' occasionally gets tagged by clean shots due to boredom, and it’s fair to say that that is a trait that needs to be eradicated. I cannot see the Philadelphian falling to Zayas, who, whilst deserving his respect, has not fought in the company that Boots has. Many point to the potential pitfall that Zayas, who has been a natural super welterweight since his pro debut, is naturally the bigger man, but ‘Boots’, height, and build demand that he grows through the weight divisions and I for one won’t be surprised if he appears the bigger man when they meet on the 27th of June in Brooklyn. 

I like Zayas, and I believe he will be a big player at 154lbs going forward, but in this matchup, I have to go with the Philadelphian, and I believe that he will stop his Puerto Rican opponent.