The month of June 2026 in the sport of Boxing will conclude with arguably one of the best fights that could be made in the sport in present day. This observer is referring to an encounter between two unbeaten world champions in Boxing’s 154lb. Jr. Middleweight division.undefeated unified WBO/WBA World Jr. Middleweight champion Xander Zayas will meet undefeated former IBF World Welterweight champion Jaron Ennis at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. A marquee bout that can be seen worldwide on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN as part of a DAZN Ultimate subscription or as a standalone pay-per-view offering for non-Ultimate subscribers.
A coincidence that is present for this fight is it will take place on a historical day in Boxing history. Those of us who are old enough to remember likely recall June 27. 1988 where at the legendary Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ, the then undefeated Undisputed World Heavyweight champion Mike Tyson destroyed unbeaten two-division world champion Michael Spinks in ninety-one seconds in defense of his crown and solidifying his claim as at that point in time the one and only World Heavyweight champion as Spinks also had a claim on the title and was recognized by Ring Magazine as World Heavyweight Champion. While that fight was significantly promoted to degrees that we do not see in the sport of Boxing anymore, the actual fight ended up being a disappointment, but was an example of how devastating Mike Tyson was in his prime years. From a business perspective, the event of Tyson-Spinks between live gate attendance, closed circuit locations, and pay-per-view, which was still largely in its infancy at that time here in the United States generated over $70 million in revenue and drew a sell out crowd of 21,785 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
Although no fight in present day should be compared to that event, particularly one that will be taking place at a lower weight than the Heavyweight division, the one similarity between the two is like Tyson and Spinks thirty-eight years ago, both Zayas and Ennis are undefeated world champions and much like back then, there is a reasonable amount of suspense as to what might happen when the two champions step into the ring to do battle. In this case, both champions are not only unbeaten, but have both scored knockouts of over half of their opponents. In that aspect, the challenger Ennis, who is the current WBA number one Jr. Middleweight contender/mandatory challenger has the advantage having scored knockouts of 88% of his opponents, scoring thirty-one knockouts in his thirty-five career wins compared to Zayas’ thirteen knockouts in twenty-three career wins.
If one were to view this strictly from those statistics, they would get the impression that this is an encounter between a champion in Zayas, who would be labeled as more of a boxer going against a former world champion in Ennis, who would be labeled as more of a “Knockout Artist.” While this would be accurate to a degree, much like Ennis, Zayas has shown an ability to be explosive and can end a fight suddenly if the opportunity presents itself. The question here is what are we likely to see as each fighter faces arguably the toughest opponent in their respective careers.
Both fighters are well aware of what the other can do and as such there might be a healthy respect for each other’s credentials in the early rounds. At some point, however, it will be interesting to see who will take the initiative to force the action and take the risk of opening up with their offense and thus risk getting caught by their opponent. While most fans would relish the idea of two fighters simply choosing to stand and trade punches, shot for shot, it is logical to think that this will be approached tactically by both fighters rather than throwing caution to the wind. It should also be pointed out, despite his reputation as a “Knockout Artist,” Jaron Ennis has also shown that when he has to, he can box as well, so it will be interesting to see what each fighter’s approach will be.
Although this fight should be viewed as a chapter in the careers of two potentially great fighters, often fights like this are thought of as landmarks in a fighters career. Whether that label is justified or not, it puts the fighter who does not get their hand raised in a position where pundits will put their career under a microscope and there will be a rebuilding process that said fighter will have to undertake in attempting to bounce back from such a setback. This observer will not partake in such “What If” scenarios because after all, no one knows what will happen when Zayas and Ennis face off in the ring and there is obviously more to take into the equation post-fight than the matter of a win or a loss. What Boxing fans can hope for, however, is that both fighters come with their best and that the intriguing Fight of the Year candidate this appears to be on paper, manifests itself inside the ring.
“And That’s The Boxing Truth.”
Zayas vs. Ennis takes place on Saturday, June 27th at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY. the fight as well as its full undercard can be seen on digital subscription sports streaming network DAZN as a standalone pay-per-view offering for $74.99 or included with a DAZN Ultimate subscription for $44.99 per month. The broadcast will begin at 4PM ET/1PM PT with free preliminary bouts with the subscription/standalone pay-per-view portion beginning at 8PM ET/ 5PM PT.
(*North American Pricing and Start Times Only.* (Card and Start Times Subject to Change.”
For more information about DAZN including schedules, list of compatible streaming devices, platforms, Smart TVs, availability around the world, local start times in your area, region specific pricing for your area, to subscribe to DAZN Ultimate or to order this pay-per-view event separately please visit: www.DAZN.com.
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