Xander Zayas, the unified 154-pound champion from Puerto Rico, has questioned the quality of opposition Jaron 'Boots' Ennis has faced throughout his career. In an interview on 'The Ariel Helwani Show' podcast, Zayas stated that he has taken on more challenging opponents at 23 years old than Ennis did at the same age.
Zayas noted that it took Ennis 35 fights to become a unified champion, whereas he achieved this in 23 fights. Zayas believes he represents the toughest test of Ennis' career, saying 'at 23 years old, I am the biggest challenge of his career.' Ennis, 28, will face Zayas on Saturday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, with Zayas' super welterweight titles from the World Boxing Organization (WBO) and the World Boxing Association (WBA) on the line.
Despite criticizing Ennis' record, Zayas acknowledged Ennis' abilities and expressed confidence in his own chances of winning. The fight will be between Zayas (23-0, 13 knockouts) and Ennis (35-0, 31 knockouts).