Jaron \u201cBoots\u201d Ennis navigated the deepest waters of his professional career before stopping Xander Zayas on Saturday night in a wildly entertaining scrap to capture the WBA and WBO super-welterweight titles and become a two-division world champion.<\/p>\n
The unbeaten Ennis knocked Zayas down three times and fought through a heart-stopping third-round crisis before referee Harvey Dock halted the bout at 1:49 of the seventh round in front of an announced sellout crowd at Barclays Center, giving the Philadelphia native the signature victory that had eluded him despite years of being regarded as one of boxing\u2019s brightest talents.<\/p>\n
Ennis improved to 36-0 with 32 knockouts, while Zayas suffered the first defeat of his career after entering the fight 23-0.<\/p>\n
\u201cI put on a show for the fans and I appreciated [Zayas] taking this, because he didn\u2019t have to,\u201d said Ennis, who turned 29 on Friday. \u201cI feel tremendous hearing \u2018and the new unified world champion at 154\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
The bout was billed as one of the year\u2019s most compelling matchups, pairing two unbeaten champions who had been touted as future stars since their teenage years. It quickly lived up to expectations.<\/p>\n
Ennis took control from the first bell, seizing the center of the ring and repeatedly beating Zayas to the punch with a stiff, spearing jab. Late in the opening round he dropped the Puerto Rican with a straight left that capped a blistering combination, sending much of the crowd to its feet.<\/p>\n
Zayas beat the count but looked shaken returning to his corner after absorbing several clean power shots.<\/p>\n
Ennis continued to press the action in the second, switching comfortably between orthodox and southpaw stances while repeatedly finding openings through Zayas\u2019s guard. The younger champion struggled to match Ennis\u2019s hand speed as the favorite appeared on course for a relatively straightforward night.<\/p>\n
Jaron \u201cBoots\u201d Ennis (right) throws a punch at Xander Zayas (left) during Saturday\u2019s fight in Brooklyn. Photograph: Evan Bernstein\/Getty Images<\/p>\n
Instead, the fight caught fire in the third. Zayas landed a flush right hand through Ennis\u2019s guard that rocked the challenger and backed him toward the ropes, forcing him to clinch as Barclays Center erupted. Ennis, hurt more seriously than at perhaps any point in his professional career, fired back while retreating as both fighters traded concussive blows through the closing seconds of a frenetic round.<\/p>\n
The breathless two-way action carried into the fourth, with Zayas enjoying his best spell of the fight by finding success with his jab and body attack while Ennis answered with crisp flurries of his own in increasingly violent exchanges.<\/p>\n
The turning point came in the fifth. Ennis seized control for good when he dropped Zayas for a second time with a perfectly timed right uppercut. Zayas barely rose at the count of nine and survived the round, but the knockdown shifted the momentum back toward the former unified 147lb champion.<\/p>\n
After a comparatively quieter sixth round, Ennis closed the show in the seventh. He trapped Zayas against the ropes with a series of spiteful right hands and left hooks before sending him to a knee for a third knockdown. The referee made it to a count of five before waving it off just as Zayas\u2019s corner threw in the towel.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew he would come forward, and we were ready for it,\u201d Ennis said. \u201cI just took my time, stayed patient, and listened to my corner.\u201d<\/p>\n
The victory gives Ennis two of the major world titles at 154lb and strengthens his position in one of boxing\u2019s deepest divisions after moving up from welterweight last year. He had previously held the WBA\u2019s interim title at super-welterweight after blasting through the overmatched Uisma Lima<\/a> in a single round last year in his first outing at the weight.<\/p>\n Attention is now likely to turn back to fellow unbeaten Vergil Ortiz Jr. A bout between the two appeared close earlier this year before Ortiz\u2019s contractual dispute with Golden Boy Promotions<\/a> derailed negotiations. Saturday\u2019s result is likely to renew calls for one of the biggest fights that can be made at 154lb. It will also bolster Ennis\u2019s case for a place near the top of boxing\u2019s pound-for-pound rankings after years in which his talent often outstripped his r\u00e9sum\u00e9.<\/p>\n Jaron \u201cBoots\u201d Ennis (left) evades a punch from Xander Zayas (right) during Saturday\u2019s unified 154lb title bout. Photograph: Evan Bernstein\/Getty Images<\/p>\n \u201cGive me Vergil, or bring on them belts, it doesn\u2019t matter who it is,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m taking over this division. This weight division is mine.\u201d<\/p>\n