This weekend, Jaron Ennis attempts to dethrone unified super-welterweight world champion Xander Zayas in one of the biggest fights of the summer, and six-division conqueror Oscar De La Hoya has offered his thoughts on the contest.
Ennis became the unified welterweight world champion when he ran through Eimantas Stanionis last year, before announcing a move up to 154lbs and disposing of Uisma Lima within one round of his debut at the weight.
The Philadelphian was then expected to face Vergil Ortiz in a long-awaited scrap, but Ortiz’s contractual issues with De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions caused the fight to collapse.
Instead, ‘Boots’ Ennis will now challenge Puerto Rico’s Zayas for the unified WBA and WBO crown and De La Hoya told Sean Zittel that he slightly favours the American to come out on top.
“I think that, stylistically, it’s a great match-up. I think that Boots is very, very talented, he is in his prime, obviously. He is facing a guy who knows how to use his distance and throws hard punches, combinations, he has the will to win, this is going to be a great fight.
“I don’t know who is going to win, it is tough to call but you might have to give the edge to Boots, just because he is on a roll with his past opponents and the way that he has been handling them. Stylistically, I think that I would have to give him a little edge, but I do love Xander.”
De La Hoya then went on to share his frustration that Zayas, rather than Ortiz, is taking on Ennis this weekend, fearing that this missed opportunity could prove consequential for his fighter down the line.
“It’s sad that it had to happen this way. I blame everything on Rick Mirigian, the manager. It is just sad because now Vergil Ortiz is going to be sidelined while all of these champions are going to be facing each other.
“You’ve got [Sebastian] Fundora and Josh Kelly, they might be fighting, as well, and then the winners will fight each other and Ortiz is going to be left in the dust.”
Zayas-Ennis takes place on Saturday night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
