Xander Zayas vs Jaron Ennis — Who Wins and Why
Jaron Ennis moves up in weight to challenge for the 154 pound crowns.
Jaron Ennis is one of my favorite fighters today. He is very
exciting to watch, and he makes you wonder what he is going to do next. He
keeps you engaged. Xander Zayas is 23 years old and is already a disciplined fighter who does not get the
credit he deserves, and he is a world champion with the WBA and WBO. He is not
to be underestimated. Even though Zayas is the champion at 154 pounds, he is
not that much bigger than Ennis, who is moving up to fight him. In retrospect, size
advantage for neither men should be an issue.
Jaron “Boots” Ennis has a style that is very fun to watch.
He is flashy, but he is also dangerous. One thing that makes him different is
how he can switch from orthodox to southpaw like it is nothing. That makes it
hard for fighters to get comfortable with him because they do not always know
what angle he is going to punch from. He has fast feet, quick hands, and throws
a lot of combinations. When he starts getting into his rhythm, he can make a
fighter feel like they cannot keep up. He has a very entertaining style to
watch.
Another reason Ennis is exciting is that he is not just fast;
he can really punch, too. He can box on the outside, counter when you make a
mistake, or come forward and make the fight rough. That is what makes him
dangerous against someone like Xander Zayas. Zayas (23-0 with 13 Kos) is
disciplined and patient, but Ennis has the type of speed and power that can
change the fight quickly if Zayas is not careful.
Ennis is not perfect. He has his faults as well. Overconfidence
can sometimes leave him open. He rarely gets hit cleanly, but when he does, it
is mostly by a straight right hand because of his bad habit of leaning his head
forward when exiting exchanges and dropping his hands while switching stances.
No fight made this more obvious than his fight against Karen
Chukhadzhian on January 7, 2023, a fight in which Ennis looked like someone who
could possibly be beaten despite eventually earning a unanimous decision.
Chukhadzhian, who entered the fight at 21-1 with 11 KOs, used lateral movement
and patience to lure him into punches and trick him into fighting a fight he
normally would not be baited into. Chukhadzhian appeared to have the blueprint
to dethrone the man nicknamed “Boots.” Because Chukhadzhian’s high guard was so
effective, Ennis had a difficult time landing straight punches to the head. During
the last minute of the eighth round, it seemed as though someone had finally
solved the puzzle. Ennis was hit by multiple jabs and a right hand. It is not
every day that a fighter who has mastered the art of cutting off the ring is
forced to follow. Boots later redeemed himself in the second fight in 2024,
which shows how great of a fighter he truly is.
If Zayas can slow the fight down and make Ennis think more,
then he could have success. That is why this fight would be interesting. Ennis
brings speed, power, switch-hitting, and excitement, while Zayas brings
discipline and championship experience. If Ennis can keep the fight fast and
unpredictable, he could give Zayas a lot of problems. But if Zayas forces Ennis
to follow rather than cut off the ring, he could steal some rounds and make
this a more even fight than usual.
Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis by unanimous decision on June 27th
in New York, as I don’t envision Zayas doing enough to beat him.
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