Xander Zayas vs Boots Ennis: Oscar De La Hoya breaks it down

On June 27 at Barclays Center, Brooklyn, Xander Zayas vs Boots Ennis will headline a Matchroom Boxing card in association with Top Rank for Zayas’ WBO/WBA super welterweight title. The entire card will take place on DAZN PPV. Oscar De La Hoya is the latest industry figure to break down the fight when speaking to Fight Hub TV.

Xander Zayas vs Boots Ennis set for Brooklyn showdown

Zayas (23-0, 13 KOs) will defend his WBO and WBA super welterweight titles against Boots. He became a world champion, winning the WBO championship against Jorge Garcia Perez. Zayas unified the titles in January, winning a split decision against Abass Baraou to put himself at the top of the division. The win against Baraou was more dominant than the scorecards suggest.

Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) will aim to become a two-weight world champion by defeating Zayas. The Philadelphia native unified at welterweight, delivering a career-best performance to defeat Eimantas Stanionis to add the WBA strap to his IBF crown, before announcing he was moving to 154 pounds. In his first fight at 154, Boots destroyed Uisma Lima inside a round to collect the interim WBA title.

De La Hoya breaks down Xander Zayas vs Boots Ennis

Speaking to Fight Hub TV, De La Hoya gave his views on Xander Zayas vs Boots Ennis:

“Boots is a tremendous fighter. He’s a beast. He’s fast, he’s elusive, he’s strong. He can change up his combinations. His footwork is impeccable.

“But then you have Zayas, who’s a big guy, who throws a lot of punches, who’s young, who’s strong. But he’s motivated, he’s hungry. I think it’s going to be a great fight. I think it’s going to be a classic fight. I sure hope that Boots uses that Philly shell but walks him down.

“I don’t want him to move around, and it’s going to make it very difficult for Zayas, and we might see one of those fights where it’s a 12-0 shutout. If we see the Philly style, moving forward, where Boots may want to knock him out, then we will see a great fight because Zayas loves that interaction. 

“Zayas loves to throw combinations. He’ll get hit a couple of times to throw five, six times back. Hopefully, we’re going to see that style, but I really do feel this has the potential to be a great fight.”

Stay with Big Fight Weekend for coverage of Xander Zayas vs Boots Ennis, including results and video highlights, and post-fight analysis.

Featured Image Credit:

Mark Robinson – Matchroom Boxing