Former unified welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis says his opponent this Saturday (June 27), unified WBO and WBA super welterweight champion Xander Zayas, is just speaking about him mindlessly in pre-fight interviews and none of it will matter after he leaves him with no excuses Saturday night.

Ennis, 35-0 (31 KOs), will move up in weight to challenge Zayas, 23-0 (13 KOs), for his belts in the night’s main event, broadcast live on DAZN PPV from Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

With his 29th birthday falling on Friday and the fight against Zayas on Saturday, Ennis says he’s expecting to have a very good time. 

“It’s gonna be a great weekend for me, you know?… It’s already set in stone. I already won,” said a seemingly relaxed and confident Ennis. 

Speaking on the Ariel Helwani show, Ennis offered a rebuttal to Zayas calling him “flat-footed” and accusing him of having a “padded record” from “ducking” big fights for a large part of his career. 

“I ain’t gonna lie,” said Ennis. “I feel like he just be saying anything. I feel like he gets in front of a camera and just talks. He doesn’t know what to say. It’s like ‘flat-footed’? Like, come on. He can think whatever he wants to think, and on fight night, he’s gonna see. 

“What people don’t realize is that everybody’s path is different,” added Ennis in response to Zayas comparing the two men’s careers at 23 years old. “I turned pro in 2016, and everybody’s paths are different. Some people have a faster route. Some people fight six rounds early. Some people fight eight rounds early… My route was a little slower and I feel like that’s because I’m gonna be on top forever.”

Ennis also says he’s not concerned about the makeup of the crowd Saturday night, or which fighter they favor over the other. 

“It can be 90% for him, and 10% me. I do not care. He’s got to get in the ring with me on Saturday night, and I ain’t worried about anybody else. It’s just me and him. It could be his fans, my fans, it could be 50/50, 60/40 my way. It doesn’t matter.”

While Ennis admits that Zayas is a quality fighter and a unified champion for a reason, he still feels he’s on a much higher plain as a fighter. 

“(Zayas is) a solid fighter. He’s got good fundamentals, but that’s it… I’ve been around the block. I’ve seen everything. The difference between me and him is that there are so many fighters that fight like him in this boxing game. Whether it’s in a real professional fight, amateur fight, sparring, I’ve seen him many times. He never seen nobody like me. I’m different and he is gonna see, firsthand. He knows I’m different. 

“I’m different at all aspects of the game. I can do everything. I can box. I can bang, pressure fight, whatever you want me to do. I switch stances. I give you speed. I give you power. I could be slick when I want to. I already do whatever I want in this ring.”

Ennis forewarns that Zayas can make no legitimate excuses about his age or claim he faced Ennis too early in his career should he lose Saturday night. 

“I can’t wait. I really can’t wait because I’m really about to show him. There are levels to this game and I’m going to show him… You can’t say it’s too soon or he’s too young because he’s a champion. He’s got two titles. I don’t want to hear none of that after I beat him.”