Jaron \u201cBoots\u201d Ennis left Barclays Center on Saturday night with the WBA and WBO super-welterweight titles, the signature win of his career and answers to questions that had dogged him for years.<\/p>\n
What would happen when he finally faced a truly elite opponent? What would happen when he was finally hurt? And could he do it in front of a hostile crowd?<\/p>\n
Less than an hour after stopping previously unbeaten Xander Zayas<\/a> in the seventh round, Ennis sounded convinced none of them required much discussion.<\/p>\n The defining sequence of the fight came in the third round when Zayas landed a flush right hand through Ennis\u2019s guard that wobbled the challenger, forcing the Philadelphia fighter to retreat and clinch during the most difficult spell of his professional career. Many watching, including his promoter Eddie Hearn, believed they had finally seen Ennis badly hurt.<\/p>\n Ennis politely disagreed.<\/p>\n \u201cI was chilling,\u201d he said at the post-fight press conference. \u201cCool, calm, collected. When this madness going on, I just get calm and be patient.\u201d<\/p>\n His father and trainer, Derek \u201cBozy\u201d Ennis, saw little reason for alarm either.<\/p>\n \u201cHe got a little lazy because it was easy,\u201d Bozy said. \u201cI wasn\u2019t worried about nothing at all.\u201d<\/p>\n Instead, both viewed the sequence as little more than a brief detour. Ennis reasserted himself from the fifth round, carving up Zayas with blinding combinations and scoring two more knockdowns before referee Harvey Dock stopped the contest in the seventh. Ennis also credited his corner for helping him settle back into the fight, saying he began listening more closely to his father\u2019s instructions after the difficult third round.<\/p>\n The atmosphere provided another test. Puerto Rican supporters packed Barclays Center and loudly backed Zayas throughout the evening, creating one of the most partisan environments Ennis has experienced despite fighting only a short drive from his hometown of Philadelphia.<\/p>\n Rather than feeling outnumbered, Ennis said the atmosphere only fueled him.<\/p>\n \u201cI loved it,\u201d he said. \u201cIt turned me up even more.\u201d<\/p>\n Xander Zayas is knocked down by Jaron \u2018Boots\u2019 Ennis during their WBO and WBA super-welterweight title fight. Photograph: Evan Bernstein\/Getty Images<\/p>\n Bozy smiled when asked about the overwhelmingly pro-Zayas crowd.<\/p>\n \u201cI love Puerto Ricans,\u201d he said. \u201cThey always stick together.\u201d<\/p>\n On a night that ennobled both men, Ennis was equally complimentary of the opponent who had pushed him further than anyone else in his professional career. Zayas was taken by ambulance to a local hospital for precautionary evaluation after the fight and did not attend the post-fight news conference.<\/p>\n \u201cXander\u2019s a great fighter,\u201d he said. \u201cI hope he\u2019s OK. Whether he stays at 154 or moves up, I think he\u2019ll be champion again.\u201d<\/p>\n Saturday\u2019s victory also transformed the conversation surrounding Ennis\u2019s future. For years, the 29-year-old struggled to secure the marquee fights his talent appeared to demand, first at welterweight and then since moving to 154lb last year. Now, after pocketing two of the four major sanctioning-body titles, his path toward becoming the division\u2019s undisputed champion appears considerably clearer.<\/p>\n \u201cMost definitely,\u201d Ennis said when asked whether collecting every major belt remained the goal.<\/p>\n One obvious target is WBC champion Sebastian Fundora.<\/p>\n \u201cBring him on,\u201d Ennis said matter-of-factly.<\/p>\n Another is fellow unbeaten Vergil Ortiz Jr. A bout between the two appeared close earlier this year before negotiations collapsed amid Ortiz\u2019s contractual dispute with Golden Boy Promotions<\/a>. Hearn indicated that the possibility remains alive.<\/p>\n