BROOKLYN — Jaron "Boots" Ennis defeated Xander Zayas by seventh-round TKO to win the WBA and WBO junior middleweight titles on June 27, 2026. The fight took place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

Zayas's corner threw in the towel at 1:49 of the seventh round after Ennis knocked him down three times. Ennis, 29, is from Philadelphia. Zayas is 23.

After the fight, Ennis said, "It feels tremendous. [Zayas] wanted to test himself against one of the best in the division and I commend him for that. This was a dream. I was having fun putting on a show for the fans and I got the job done. It's a blessing to be a two-time unified champion." He added, "Whoever [promoter] Eddie [Hearn of Matchroom Sport] wants, that's who we are going to get [next]. Bring on Vergil and bring on the belts. I'm here to be undisputed in this weight class so it doesn't matter who is next because I'll fight them all." Promoter Eddie Hearn said he supports a fight between Ennis and Sebastian Fundora and noted that Vergil Ortiz Jr. has been out of the ring for a year.

Zayas said, "[Ennis] hurt me a little bit in the first round so my legs went away for a couple of rounds and I needed to find them. It's part of the business but you learn and come back and get better. I feel like I hurt him [in Round 3] and hit him with good shots but he's a great champion." He also stated, "It was an amazing night. I showed tonight that if you dream big, sometimes you come up short but it's part of the journey. I'm happy with my performance. But congratulations to 'Boots.' He did what he had to do to get the victory. [My cornermen] are here to save me. They are here to let me live another day tomorrow. I knew it was the right decision if they made it because it was time."

Ennis left the arena to boos from the crowd. Ennis weighed 153 pounds at the weigh-in, while Zayas weighed 153.75 pounds; the weight limit was 154 pounds. Ennis entered the fight with a record of 35-0, and Zayas entered with a record of 23-0.