Boots Ennis stops Xander Zayas in Round 7 to unify junior middleweight and become a two-division champion
Jaron "Boots" Ennis (36-0, 1 NC) stopped previously unbeaten champion Xander Zayas (23-1) in the seventh round to capture the WBA and WBO junior-middleweight titles and become a two-division champion.
Key points
- Jaron "Boots" Ennis beat Xander Zayas by seventh-round TKO (1:49, corner stoppage)
- Captured the WBA and WBO junior-middleweight titles — a two-division unified champion after welterweight
- Knockdowns in rounds 1 and 5; Zayas rocked Ennis with right hands in the third
- Zayas suffers first pro loss (23-1); Ennis improves to 36-0, 1 NC
Jaron "Boots" Ennis stopped unified junior-middleweight (super welterweight) champion Xander Zayas in the seventh round on June 27, 2026, at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. By taking the WBA and WBO titles, the former welterweight ruler became a two-division unified champion in just his first fight up at 154 pounds.
Ennis was sharp from the opening bell, hurting Zayas with the left hand and putting him down in the first round, then scoring a second knockdown in the fifth. In the seventh, with Ennis pouring it on, Zayas's corner threw in the towel to end it (1:49 of round 7).
Zayas had his moments. He landed clean right hands to rock Ennis in the third and held the initiative through parts of the fourth. In the end, though, the rangy power and accuracy Ennis carried up from welterweight proved decisive.
Zayas, who entered 23-0, suffered his first professional defeat (23-1). Ennis moved to 36-0 (1 NC) and unified a second weight class after welterweight.
Sources
FAQ
- Who won Zayas vs. Boots Ennis?
- Jaron "Boots" Ennis stopped previously unbeaten champion Xander Zayas by seventh-round TKO on June 27, 2026, unifying the WBA/WBO junior-middleweight titles — a second-division crown after welterweight.