Boxing divisional rankings: 'Boots' Ennis claims t...
Key takeaways
- Ennis used his dynamic mixture of speed, power and accuracy to drop Zayas in rounds one, five and seven.
- The win vaults Ennis into the top spot of the junior middleweight division while Zayas falls one spot to No. 4.
- Also this weekend, Ben Whittaker collected his fourth consecutive stoppage inside of two rounds with a second-round TKO of Richard Rivera.
Why this matters: a sports story that could shift standings, legacies, or fan conversations.
Jaron "Boots" Ennis beat Xander Zayas for the WBO and WBA junior middleweight titles. Evan Bernstein/Getty Images Andreas Hale Jun 30, 2026, 07:38 AM ETClose Andreas Hale is a combat sports reporter at ESPN. Andreas covers MMA, boxing and pro wrestling. In Andreas' free time, he plays video games, obsesses over music and is a White Sox and 49ers fan. He is also a host for Sirius XM's Fight Nation. Before joining ESPN, Andreas was a senior writer at DAZN and Sporting News. He started his career as a music journalist for outlets including HipHopDX, The Grammys and Jay-Z's Life+Times. He is also an NAACP Image Award-nominated filmmaker as a producer for the animated short film "Bridges" in 2024.Follow on XMultiple AuthorsEmailPrintJaron "Boots" Ennis delivered a statement win on Saturday, knocking down Xander Zayas three times en route to a seventh-round stoppage to claim the WBO and WBA junior middleweight titles at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Ennis used his dynamic mixture of speed, power and accuracy to drop Zayas in rounds one, five and seven. But "Boots" had to endure a spirited rally from Zayas in Round 3 that turned a one-sided affair into a true battle. Ennis overcame the challenge, eventually overwhelming Zayas to become a two-division unified world champion.
The win vaults Ennis into the top spot of the junior middleweight division while Zayas falls one spot to No. 4.