By Jose Corpas
In a match that boxing insiders are saying will determine boxing’s next superstar, undefeated unified junior middleweight champion Xander Zayas puts it all on the line against former unified welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center Saturday night. Promoted as a battle between two fighters with the potential to become the next face of American boxing, the WBA and WBO junior middleweight championships will be on the line when the two collide on DAZN Pay-Per-View in a promotion presented jointly by Matchroom Boxing and Top Rank.
Fight Week in Brooklyn
Fight week officially began with Tuesday’s public workouts inside the historic Gleason’s Gym, where fans packed the Brooklyn landmark for a glimpse of the featured fighters. The loudest applause of the afternoon went to flamboyant British light heavyweight Ben Whittaker, whose athletic drills, reflexes and showmanship delighted spectators. The press conference the day after was a quiet affair but the anticipation in the air remained thick as the boxing press present debated who they felt would win.
Both fighters were confident and respectful, with each acknowledging the other’s ability despite feigning confusion when some questioned why they felt they would win.
A City Buzzing with Sports Fever
The festivities have unfolded during one of New York City’s busiest sports week. On Thursday evening, the Boxing Writers Association of America held its annual awards dinner, drawing many of boxing’s biggest names to Manhattan including 2025 Fighter of the Year, Terence Crawford, who will be in attendance for the big fight. Also present at the BWAA dinner was Robert Garcia, who was recognized for the third time as trainer of the year. Garcia will also be present at the match, a fight he said he doesn’t want to miss.
Adding to the excitement during the buildup were the ongoing World Cup matches that clogged traffic throughout the city with viewing parties at Central Park and a game taking place just over the river. And the sidewalks and subways were filled with soccer supporters wearing Ecuador, United States and Turkey jerseys as international matches brought thousands of additional fans into the city, waving flags and crossing their fingers.
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Continuing the Puerto Rican Legacy
There will be Puerto Rican flags waving on Saturday night. Xander Zayas has increasingly been embraced as the island’s next big star, continuing a tradition that stretches back to the 1930s when Sixto Escobar was selling out the Dyckman Oval on a regular basis and Cayey’s Pedro Montañez was doing the same at the old Hippodrome, Madison Square Garden, and even the Polo Grounds. Later generations watched Carlos Ortiz and José Torres headline major events at Shea Stadium.
Ortiz was, along with Roberto Clemente one of the early Marshals of the Puerto Rican Day Parade in New York, a weekend that in recent years promoters made sure to stage a big fight. Starting with the Hector Camacho- Edwin Rosario match in 1986, those events really took off with Felix Trinidad and then Miguel Cotto. And at the Barclays, Puerto Rican-Philadelphian Danny Garcia has consistently been one of the arenas biggest draws, fighting before thousands against Keith Thurman, Shawn Porter, and Zab Judah.
Now many believe Zayas could be the latest name added to that list. At just 23 years old, the San Juan native enters Saturday with a perfect 23-0 record and 13 knockouts. Earlier this year he unified the WBA and WBO junior middleweight titles by defeating Abass Baraou, becoming one of the sport’s youngest unified champions. After negotiations with Josh Kelly for third bout fell through, Zayas accepted perhaps the most dangerous challenge available.
“Boots” Ennis: The Feared Challenger
Standing across the ring is arguably boxing’s most avoided fighter.
Philadelphia’s Jaron “Boots” Ennis arrives undefeated at 35-0 with 31 knockouts after moving up from welterweight, where he established himself as one of boxing’s premier talents. For years, insiders have described Ennis as the type of fighter many contenders avoided, praising his combination of speed and power. After dominating at 147 pounds, he now seeks to become a unified champion in a second weight class.
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A Historic Showdown
Some observers have compared Saturday’s matchup to the anticipation surrounding Félix Trinidad’s showdown with Bernard Hopkins nearly a quarter-century ago. Once again, a beloved Puerto Rican champion meets an undefeated Philadelphia fighter whose talent has long inspired respect throughout the boxing community. Like Hopkins before him, Ennis represents perhaps the most complete and dangerous opponent Zayas could have selected at this stage of his career.
Which makes this contest so compelling.
Neither man is taking an easy fight. Each represents the other’s greatest professional challenge. Zayas is attempting to prove he truly belongs among boxing’s elite while carrying the expectations of Puerto Rican boxing fans searching for their next icon. Ennis is pursuing the defining victory many believe will launch his own legacy after years of waiting for big fights.
Hopkins vs Trinidad? Or Trinidad vs David Reid?
When the final bell rings Saturday night, boxing will have found its next superstar.
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