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Ennis Stops Zayas, Claims WBO, WBA Junior-Middleweight Titles

6/28/2026

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Summary

Story summary

Jaron “Boots” Ennis stopped Xander Zayas in the seventh round at Barclays Center, winning the WBO and WBA junior-middleweight titles.
Ennis admitted being “lazy” in the third round, turning the bout into a Round-of-the-Year candidate.
Zayas, the 23-year-old champion who won the belts in July 2025 and January 2026, said he will take time off with his family.
Ennis said his next goal is an undisputed title.

History

Historical Context

During the 1980s, marquee unifications such as Hagler-Leonard in 1987 and Hearns-Leonard’s 1981 “Showdown”—which drew 23,618 fans to Caesars Palace—forced promoters to negotiate across multiple sanctioning bodies. That era’s push for undisputed titles set a precedent that today’s junior-middleweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis follows, pressuring organizers to stage multi-belt matchups.

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Story summary

Jaron “Boots” Ennis stopped Xander Zayas in the seventh round at Barclays Center, winning the WBO and WBA junior-middleweight titles.
Ennis admitted being “lazy” in the third round, turning the bout into a Round-of-the-Year candidate.
Zayas, the 23-year-old champion who won the belts in July 2025 and January 2026, said he will take time off with his family.
Ennis said his next goal is an undisputed title.

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