Jaron 'Boots' Ennis finally has the opportunity to prove his greatness
As individualistic and lonely a sport as boxing is, the only way to get your just due as a fighter is to have the right dance partner.
It is the irony of the sport that plagues some of the greatest talents, especially in the early stages of their careers.
Jaron "Boots" Ennis turns 29 on Friday, one day before the biggest fight of his career. That is still young for a fighter who seems like he's been in the game much longer.
Even casual fans have been hearing about Boots out of Philadelphia since at least 2021, when he knocked out Sergey Lipinets. And while he has only built up his undefeated resume to 35-0 since then. Ennis himself will tell you he is lacking a signature win.
The closest he has come was his sixth-round stoppage of Eimantas Stanionis last year. The formerly undefeated Lithuanian didn't answer the bell for the seventh round after Boots thoroughly dominated the match. He unified the IBF and WBA titles that night and became the lineal welterweight champion.
But Boots' welterweight glory is behind him now that he is campaigning at 154 lbs, and some fans even downplay that welterweight glory because the division, which is historically one of the sport's prestige weight classes, has been weak in recent years.
The good news for Boots, though, is that the super welterweight division is probably the deepest in boxing right now, and his opponent next Saturday, June 27, Xander Zayas, is one of the best fighters in that division.
Xander Zayas gives Boots Ennis the chance to be great
Xander Zayas is only 23 years old, but most boxing pundits agree that he has the skills to be a great fighter, if he isn't there already.
The Puerto Rican pugilist's profile is higher than it has ever been after he beat Abass Baraou by split decision in January, winning the WBO title and defending his WBA title in the process. Then a week later, more than 128 million people caught a glimpse of him live during Bad Bunny's Super Bowl halftime performance (he was one of the boxers fighting in the cornfield).
Zayas is on his way out of the 154 lb division. He is clearly outgrowing the division, and his destiny lies in the heavier weight classes.
All of those ingredients make Zayas the perfect opponent for Boots to prove himself against.
Zayas is younger and bigger than Boots. So if Boots is victorious, the naysayers can't turn to either of their go-to excuses when trying to downplay a fighter's win.
Everything is set up for Boots to take that next step in his career, which, based on his skill level and pedigree, everyone has been expecting him to take. But it's not like his long journey has been completely his fault either.
In addition to being one of the most talented fighters out there, he is also one of the most avoided. But soon enough, none of that will matter, because Boots has finally found the right dance partner. Now he just has to deliver.
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This story was originally published June 21, 2026 at 8:46 AM.