Jaron “Boots” Ennis says he doesn’t care about comparisons to former undisputed champion Terence Crawford as he prepares for the biggest fight of his career against Xander Zayas this Saturday night in Brooklyn.

Ennis (35-0, 31 KO) will face Zayas for the WBA and WBO junior middleweight titles at the Barclays Center, looking to become the unified champion of the second weight division. As his profile continues to rise, many fans are comparing his skills and versatility to Crawford, who vacated the IBF welterweight title in 2023 before he started gaining weight.

“I’m not worried about it,” Ennis told Daily Mail Boxing. “I know I fight like me, no one fights like me and I don’t fight like anyone. My style is different from everyone else’s. I feel like I have a unique style and no one can do what I do.”

Ennis made it clear that he saw himself as an exceptional warrior, not another version of someone else.

“They’ve been doing this for a long time. They compare every player to someone else, but I just do what I do,” Ennis said. “None of these fighters fight like me. They can’t do what I do. I’m different.”

The undefeated Philadelphia native won a share of the welterweight championship before moving up to 154 pounds earlier this year. He announced his arrival to the division by knocking out Uisma Lima in the first round and now faces the toughest task of his junior middleweight career.

Zayas (23-0, 13 KO) enters the fight as the division’s youngest unified champion after adding the WBO title to his WBA belt. A victory over the Puerto Rican star would give Ennis two second-division world titles and strengthen his position among boxing’s elite fighters.

Dan Ambrose is a boxing journalist at Boxing News 24, respected for his direct analysis and extensive coverage of the global fight landscape. His reports focus on the most essential fights, division development and the most discussed stories in sports.

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Last updated: 23/06/2026 at 11:40

Teddy Atlas weighed in on how Jesse Rodriguez would fare against Naoya Inoue after his sixth-round knockout of Antonio Vargas.

“Bam” dethroned Vargas and became world champion in three weight categories last Saturday, despite scoring a sixth consecutive shutout, many felt the 26-year-old performed below his typically elite standards.

Such high expectations can be explained by the American’s phenomenal skills, which saw him score significant victories over the likes of Juan Francisco Estrada and Bright Edwards.

However, in his first appearance at 118 pounds, Rodriguez faced a solid opponent in Vargas, who may have had more success than most expected.

“Bam” then finally pinned the Olympian with a keen left hand, sent him to the canvas and ultimately won the WBA bantamweight title.

As a result, fans are now clamoring for a clash between Rodriguez and Inoue following a balanced points victory over Junto Nakatani.

By defeating his Japanese rival, “The Monster” successfully defended his undisputed super bantamweight crown for the seventh time and arguably cemented his position as the No. 1 pound-for-pound star of the sport.

Hall of Fame coach Atlas also said the 33-year-old has a wealth of experience his YouTube channel that he thinks Inoue may be too experienced for ‘Bama.

“[Rodriguez is] still 26 [years old]and he will go there with someone who could become one of the best of all time.

– Bam can finally stay [an all-time great] too, but Bam is still there for a while [behind Inoue] in his career.

“Spice – that might be the difference. I know Bam would be different – he’d be more insecure against a guy like Inoue – but [he] he can’t afford to be labeled like that [against Vargas]”

On the other hand, it could be said that at 33 years ancient, Inoue is more vulnerable than ever, especially if he ends up facing an elite champion like “Bam.”

– Is that what I’m afraid of? Itauma said to talkSPORT Boxing.

After repeating the question, the 21-year-old paused again.

“Did you say fear?”

Itauma finally responded, saying that he viewed boxing as a puzzle and believed that proper preparation could solve any challenge facing him. But what was most striking was what happened next.

The conversation had already flowed, but Itauma returned to the topic once again.

“No, I’m just shocked that you said that,– Itauma told the hosts.

For a player who is usually measured and composed in interviews, this exchange was noteworthy. Itauma had no problem discussing Hrgovic’s strengths, praising the Croatian as one of the best heavyweights available and describing the achievements on his resume. However, the suggestion that he might be afraid of his opponent seemed to strike a different chord.

Whether it was surprise, pride, or straightforward disbelief, Itauma didn’t want to let that word pass without referring to it a few times.

For an undefeated heavyweight who prides himself on being the epitome of supreme self-confidence, just hearing the word “fear” associated with his name was a huge shock to his system. If it didn’t bother him, he would have just laughed, replied quickly, “I’m not afraid of any man,” and let the interview continue.

Instead, look at how he reacted:

• He completely froze and told the host to repeat the question twice to make sure he heard correctly.
• He gave his standard PR-friendly answer that boxing was a conundrum that seemed like a defense mechanism to regain control of his thoughts.
• The biggest advantage is that he came back to this topic after the topic had already changed.

This last part is the smoking gun. This means that the question was actively floating around in his head while they were talking about something else. He couldn’t let go because his pride was hurt. He wanted to make it clear to the hosts and anyone listening that even suggesting he felt fear was absurd.

It shows that while he may see his opponents as puzzles to solve, he’s still a 21-year-old fighter with a lot of pride, and the media can certainly get under his skin if they hit the right nerve.

When the prospect of being undefeated becomes the next massive thing, they start living in a bubble where everyone tells them they are undefeated. Itauma is tearing through his opponents and the media is treating him as the savior of the heavyweight division. In his opinion, he is the biggest predator.

So when a reporter asks him if he’s afraid of anyone, he completely undermines that narrative. It forces him to look at himself through a normal, human lens, and his ego simply cannot process it. To him, the question itself was an insult because it suggested he was vulnerable.

Itauma couldn’t bear to have his image of supreme dominance disturbed. It is exactly the same inability to let go of noticeable smallness. He had to come back to it because his pride was damaged, proving that despite all the hype, he is still human and can definitely be shaken.

The timing is engaging considering the dynamics surrounding the fight. For much of his career, Hrgovic has rejected the notion that he is merely a stepping stone for boxing’s fastest-rising heavyweight prospect. Meanwhile, Itauma seems equally resistant to any suggestion that another heavyweight might take the place in his mind as a feared figure.

Their fight on August 29 at London’s O2 Arena will decide which of the fighters is legitimate. Hrgovic believes he will reveal the hype surrounding the youngster, while Itauma has made it clear he sees the Croatian as another obstacle to solve rather than someone to worry about.