Latest / Between The Rounds Official / Between the Rounds: The Technical Truth Behind Xander Zayas vs. Boots Ennis
Transcript
- Sarah C: What's up fight fans? I'm your host Sarah Cunningham and today I'm breaking down the massive showdown between Xander Zayas and Jaron Boots taking place right here in Brooklyn at the Center on June 27th. We are just under two weeks away and the noise around this fight is deafening from Eddie Hearn and the Match Room team. They've been calling Boots a generational talent and a future multiweight undisputed champion. And look, they might absolutely be right, today I want to shine some light on Zayas ⁓ because he's someone I've been following for I've watched him through the professional ranks. I've been fortunate enough to see him fight live here in New York, and he's one I love to study and prep for my own fights. And I'm telling you right now, those writing him off before this opening bell are making a massive mistake. Yes, I am a fan, but more importantly, I know there's something truly special about this kid. and not only that, he deserves so much credit ⁓ for taking on a that technically he didn't even have to. and so in my eyes, this is not a mismatch. ⁓ And wanna get into exactly why. So when you watch Xander Zayas, the absolute first thing that hits you is his discipline. It's not just his work ethic, it's the fact that every single movement in that ring has a distinct purpose behind it. He's a true boxer puncher with high output, fluid movement and incredibly sharp combinations. He works beautifully behind the jab, serving up multiple different variations. He counters smoothly off of it and knows exactly how to apply technically sound pressure without wasting unnecessary energy. And one thing to note, his composure at this stage of his career really can't be overlooked. Just looking at his resume, so when he fought Patrick Teshera, a real rugged veteran who tried every dirty trick in the book, Xander, well, he calmly picked him apart for ten rounds. And then when he faced undefeated Spomer, he systematically broke him down over nine rounds. and then when we head over to San Juan, where he headlined his fight for the Abbas Bararu unification in front of a home crowd expecting an absolute war, my gosh, did he have to dig deep? It was brutal. It was a grueling fight. But he showed us that there's a real dog inside of Xander Zayas And he came out of that fire unified. So when people say Xander is in over his head, I honestly don't think they're watching the same fighter that I am. Okay, so all that praise being said, there are some minor cracks in Xander's tactical style, and those cracks matter immensely when you're standing across from someone like Jaron Ennis. now, physically, Zayas is the natural 154 pounder while Ennis is moving up from welterweight But make no mistake, Boots isn't the smaller man here. They're evenly matched in height and reach. And the word on the camp is that Ennis feels incredibly strong and comfortable at 154 pound. And look, we already saw that when he secured that devastating first round TKO in his super welterweight debut. So here's the technical battlefield. We've got Xander whose textbook sound, ⁓ but under sustained chaotic pressure, his structure can start to unravel slightly. So if you go back to the middle rounds of the Bararoo fight, Baraou got heavy on the inside through short chopping hooks from close range, ⁓ and Xander's high guard to split open. Gaps appeared. Now Baraou is a very good fighter, but he's not Boots Ennis. So what happens when a fighter of that calibre, like Boots Ennis, who's a lethal body snatcher, finds those openings? Xander can handle linear straight ahead pressure beautifully, But Boots is everything but that. He's the ability to shift stance mid attack and catches you from angles you literally cannot see coming. And look, we've all seen his south paw attack when he comes forward with that inverted left hook to the liver. He uses his insane hand speed to blind you up top, forces you to cover your head, And then you're automatically serving serving that opening up to him. And then there's the power equation. The honest concern for Zayas in this fight is whether he possesses that true one punch power at 154, ⁓ something that forces Boots to respect him. Does Xander land hard enough to slow Boots down and make him think twice about just sitting in the pocket? That's the real question. But let's play devil's advocate here for a second, because there are kinks in Boots Armour too. the Karen Chukhadzhian fight told us a lot. So when an opponent uses heavy lateral movement, starts to break his rhythm, and completely refuses to stand still, Boots gets visibly frustrated. He starts overreaching, completely abandons his jab, and goes headhunting. And that exact frustration ended his 19 fight knockout streak all because one guy kept moving. Now we knows Xander won't run, but he won't just there like a stationary target either. He's gonna use his effectively, create angles off of it, and keep his output incredibly high. Now some analysts believe Boots has never faced someone who combines this level of volume with this calibre of footwork, and I don't disagree. So if Xander can keep him guessing early and prevent him from settling into a groove, we're looking at a much longer, tougher night than most pundits are predicting. for me, the first three rounds will tell us a lot about this fight. It will determine whether Xander can establish his jab and keep Boots at bay before Boots gets comfortable. Because the second he does and he starts fluidly switching stances, Xander could find himself in serious trouble. However, if Xander wins those earlier rounds, keeps his output high, and lets the natural 154 pound weight advantage work in his favor, this fight could look very different. Both of these men are putting their undefeated records on the line when neither of them had to. Both of these men are putting their undefeated records on the line when neither of them had to. Boots could have easily taken a tune up fight at this new weight, and Xander could have called out another mandatory, but neither did. They both want greatness. And well for me, this fight is much closer than most people think. I've watched this kid grow and he absolutely belongs on this stage. But if Boots finds the body early and his stance switching creates angles Xander can't navigate, it could go south for the champion. this fight is much closer than most people think. And look, we all love an underdog story. I would love nothing more than to see Xander Zayas take home the unified victory. But we could also realistically see Boots Ennis get a stoppage. So look, I'm wishing both warriors the very best of luck because this is what boxing is all about. The greats taking on the greats and the rising stars refusing to be afraid. this is exactly what boxing is all about. The greats taking on the greats the rising stars refusing to be afraid. I've been your host, Sarah Cunningham, and this has been Between the Rounds. I'll see you all on the next episode real soon.