Two of boxing’s brightest unbeaten stars collide tonight as unified WBA and WBO super-welterweight champion Xander Zayas defends his titles against former unified welterweight ruler Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center.
Zayas, still just 23, puts his unified crown on the line against Ennis, who moved up from welterweight after establishing himself as one of boxing’s elite talents. With both men yet to taste defeat, tonight’s winner will take a huge step towards pound-for-pound recognition.
‘Boots’ steps through the ropes as the favourite and regarded as one of the sport’s most gifted fighters. The switch-hitter from Philadelphia carries true knockout power, and believes the fight will play out ‘whichever way he wants’. As boxing’s youngest male unified champion, Zayas has momentum in the division and is confident of claiming by far the biggest scalp of his campaign so far.
Follow Boxing News’ live scorecard below followed by the official result as it happens.
Xander Zayas vs Jaron Ennis live scorecard
This is a Boxing News live scorecard and not the official score from the judges.
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | Total | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zayas | 8 | 9 | 10 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 53 |
| Ennis | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 59 |
Xander Zayas vs Jaron Ennis fight result
Jaron Ennis RTD 7. An incredible fight in Brooklyn, with Ennis cementing his pound-for-pound credentials but not without adversity. ‘Boots’ dropped Zayas in the opener and clearly won the second, but was rocked in the third as Zayas did everything he could to hold on to his belts. The fourth was an all-out war with neither man taking a step back, before Ennis scored a heavy knockdown in the fifth via a short uppercut. How Zayas made it out of the round was a wonder, but the writing was on the wall – a third knockdown in the seventh saw his corner throw in the towel. ‘Boots’ Ennis becomes a two-weight unified world champion. Incredible movement, precision and power from the new champion, warrior spirit and a fantastic chin from 23-year-old Zayas.