James Toney has predicted a devastating outcome for one half of Xander Zayas vs Jaron Ennis, questioning what the result would mean for his future in the sport.
The pair will collide for Zayas’ WBO and WBA world super-welterweight titles on June 27, headlining a card at the Barclays Center, Brooklyn.
Despite him being a unified champion, many are wondering whether this is a step too far for the Puerto Rican, who comes off a split decision victory over Abass Baraou.
Regardless of the scorecards, Zayas was able to dominate large spells of their encounter in January, before adding the WBA strap to his collection.
Against Ennis, though, the 23-year-old is set to face his toughest opponent by some distance, hoping to pull off what would be a sizable upset.
Having previously unified the welterweight division, orchestrating an emphatic sixth-round finish over Eimantas Stanionis, Ennis is certainly no stranger to a challenge of this nature.
While considering this, and indeed the overall skillset of ‘Boots’, Hall of Famer Toney finds it difficult to envision Zayas retaining his titles.
In fact, the former three-weight world champion has told MillCity Boxing that Ennis could even harm the promising career of his opponent.
“‘Boots’ [is] a bad motherf**ker. This kid [Zayas] is about to get ruined. He ain’t ready. He’s a good fighter, but he’s not there yet.”
This represents Ennis’ second outing at 154lbs, following his first-round demolition job against Uisma Lima in October.
Zayas, on the other hand, is a fully-fledged operator at the weight, having crafted a 23-0 (13 KOs) record with his sharp footwork and prolific jab.
