BoxRec

Excellent bout. One sided on the scorecards maybe, but not in the ring.

Incredible fight, Zayas showing the heart of a champion to try and fight it out and turn it in his favor but apart from hurting Ennis momentarily in the 3rd it was a long 7 rounds, Ennis dropping him in the 1st with a 3 punch combination, Zayas not badly hurt but it was a taste of what was to come, Ennis was just too quick, too skilled and was able to catch Zayas with short cute punches on the inside, the uppercut to drop Zayas in the 5th was straight out the top drawer, he done well to get up and then make it out the round, Ennis leathered him, Ennis took it easy in the 6th but turned it on in the 7th another onslaught forced Zayas down a third time when it was stopped, Zayas maybe could've used the ring more but Ennis was bang up for it and showed why he's one of the best in the business

MightyWarrior wrote: ↑28 Jun 2026, 03:05 He’s a fantastic fighter boots, and he looked untouchable there for the first few rounds, but then we found out he does after all have a weakness: his beard, he clearly shouldn’t have shaved it off, because it looks like he doesn’t take an elite level punch: the brave Puerto Rican, not being known as a hitter, had him on very shaky legs there…he came back in superstar style though.. who’s next ?

He was forced to.

gilgamesh wrote: ↑28 Jun 2026, 05:19 Excellent bout. One sided on the scorecards maybe, but not in the ring.

I get what you mean, but it was one sided really. Zayas took a nasty shellacking. Brave dude though

Bigdogsnose wrote: ↑28 Jun 2026, 02:52

Les Norton wrote: ↑24 Jun 2026, 07:06 At the end of the day, who has Ennis beaten?
Never went near Crawford or Spence.
And if he wins, and I think he does, against Zayas, he hardly killed a lion.
He needs a big name victory sometime soon

He has beaten everyone who steps in a ring with him. Thats the hard bit. Crawford chose not to fight boots. He had every right, not a duck, but that fight not happening is not on boots.

When did Crawford choose not to fight him?
I missed that.
I’m not bagging him, but he’s made out to be some sort of legend.
Today he beat up a fighter we all expected him to.
He beat nobody of note at welter, and today he cleaned up a really limited kid.

gilgamesh wrote: ↑28 Jun 2026, 05:19 Excellent bout. One sided on the scorecards maybe, but not in the ring.

Yes it was one sided in the ring.
Ennis was slightly buzzed in R3, but Zayas went down 3 times.
It was a pasting.

Les Norton wrote: ↑28 Jun 2026, 07:02

Bigdogsnose wrote: ↑28 Jun 2026, 02:52

Les Norton wrote: ↑24 Jun 2026, 07:06 At the end of the day, who has Ennis beaten?
Never went near Crawford or Spence.
And if he wins, and I think he does, against Zayas, he hardly killed a lion.
He needs a big name victory sometime soon

He has beaten everyone who steps in a ring with him. Thats the hard bit. Crawford chose not to fight boots. He had every right, not a duck, but that fight not happening is not on boots.

When did Crawford choose not to fight him?
I missed that.
I’m not bagging him, but he’s made out to be some sort of legend.
Today he beat up a fighter we all expected him to.
He beat nobody of note at welter, and today he cleaned up a really limited kid.

Ennis became ibf champ when crawford vacated. Like i say, no way am i calling it a duck. Bud had earned the huge money shots by beating spence. Shame though, there is not one fight i'd have rather seen. Hope we see ennis v ortiz, but virgil has some troubles i think.

I thought light middle looked like killers row but it has thinned. I think fundora has chance to be his most awkward opponent. He'd beat josh kelly in 2nd gear.

By same token, i think MW looks step too far, he looked a big welter but theres some big lads around these weights.

My money was on Ennis and I'm not surprised he stopped Zayas but I think he's in trouble if he fights Ortiz . Boots' decision not to use his great hand speed was very foolish.
As for Zayas, he needs to get away from 154, Fundora and Ortiz will also stop him, imo. At 160, I think he beats Lara and Adames.

goose 5 wrote: ↑28 Jun 2026, 10:39 My money was on Ennis and I'm not surprised he stopped Zayas but I think he's in trouble if he fights Ortiz . Boots' decision not to use his great hand speed was very foolish.
As for Zayas, he needs to get away from 154, Fundora and Ortiz will also stop him, imo. At 160, I think he beats Lara and Adames.

And Middleweight really needs a star. I'd love to see him move up & win a title there

Ennis chin will be questioned, his boxing ability and conditioning should be applauded.
Good fight.

Evander wrote: ↑29 Jun 2026, 02:44 Ennis chin will be questioned, his boxing ability and conditioning should be applauded.
Good fight.

Good punch variety, and phenomenal hand speed for sure. He looked great. Excellent timing. Kept beating Zayas to the punch in exchanges.

gilgamesh wrote: ↑29 Jun 2026, 02:51

Evander wrote: ↑29 Jun 2026, 02:44 Ennis chin will be questioned, his boxing ability and conditioning should be applauded.
Good fight.

Good punch variety, and phenomenal hand speed for sure. He looked great. Excellent timing. Kept beating Zayas to the punch in exchanges.

Got caught too though eh.

Evander wrote: ↑29 Jun 2026, 02:55

gilgamesh wrote: ↑29 Jun 2026, 02:51

Evander wrote: ↑29 Jun 2026, 02:44 Ennis chin will be questioned, his boxing ability and conditioning should be applauded.
Good fight.

Good punch variety, and phenomenal hand speed for sure. He looked great. Excellent timing. Kept beating Zayas to the punch in exchanges.

Got caught too though eh.

Yeah he did. Got noticeably shook for a second there definitely.

gilgamesh wrote: ↑29 Jun 2026, 02:55

Evander wrote: ↑29 Jun 2026, 02:55

gilgamesh wrote: ↑29 Jun 2026, 02:51

Good punch variety, and phenomenal hand speed for sure. He looked great. Excellent timing. Kept beating Zayas to the punch in exchanges.

Got caught too though eh.

Yeah he did. Got noticeably shook for a second there definitely.

I was surprised he had to dig that deep that early.

Can't take Ennis skills and will to win away from him.
He got hit, welcome to the big time, it happens up here regularly

‘Xander has a rematch clause’: Eddie Hearn talks next steps for Boots Ennis and Bam Rodriguez

Eddie Hearn considers the future plans for two of his biggest star fighters.



Check out some excerpts of what he had to say below.

Hearn on working on plans for Boots next outing
”It’s not common knowledge but Xander has a rematch clause. So I believe he’ll probably move to 160 but it’s interesting, he said in the ring tonight, he said ‘I didn’t struggle at the weight’. He might look back and maybe looks at the third round...

“He’s got the right to exercise it but at the same time he took a lot of punishment and I think Boots will be a lot better next time, to be honest with you because as much as experience he has in terms of fights, that was his first real moment in the madness and he’ll learn a lot from that. He’s only just turned 29.”

On comparing Boots to Bam Rodriguez
”I think they’re both very similar in the way they approach their fights. For example, Bam goes in the other week against Vargas and with all due respect and Vargas and Xander, they have no respect for them, really. They walk them down from the opening bell, stand in the pocket and just beat them up.

”But the result of that is really entertaining fights and probably take a little bit more punishment than the coaches would like. And Bam was the same, wasn’t it. I mean, he got hit a lot in that fight but he chose to get hit a lot in that fight so he wouldn’t give you a 12 round decision, so that he’d wear him down and stop him.

”So when you look at that P4P list, who are they guys that come out and fight like that? Who are they guys that make the casual fans go ‘what a sport, this is thrilling’ and that’s Bam and that’s Boots, and that’s Benavidez as well, not my fighter, but again, really exciting fighter to watch. And for me, I know that’s what the casuals want to watch.

“I know the purists will go ‘oh, well he got buzzed, he got hit too much.’ Yes, I know, but what you’re seeing is thrilling.”

On Usyk giving up his belts
“He’s earned the right to do whatever he wants. So he’s going to fight Wilder next, I believe, and that’s just the fight that he wants to take...I think maybe he’s realizing does he want to be put under the pressure of an order of a fight...Is he slipping? I don’t know, but I think he’s earned the right to do whatever he wants.”

On the potential for Bam vs Inoue
“We’ve had no approach about the Inoue fight, at all. So at the moment it’s just hearsay. Turki Alalshikh has mentioned it to me before but right now we’re planning a defense for Bam in November, December. So a unification for Bam unless we hear from those guys and they really want to do it, and Bam’s ready to move forward with that fight.”

Could be wrong but it looks like Ennis is going for a 3 fight deal [This was the first] leading up to the best available [Hopefully Vergil Ortiz] fight by the end of it.
Vergil Ortiz has to do something similar and take fights himself to make this happen, and they both have to win.