“Yes, I 100% favor Xander,” Ortiz told MillCity Boxing. “I just see his work ethic and he has a great coach. I think he’ll be able to do it.

“And yes, I fought Boots too. It was a long time ago, but he’s definitely sharp and cunning in the ring as well. So hopefully he’ll be able to. Let’s see if he can get any of those shots back on Xander.”

“I think a lot of people underestimate Xander’s skills. I think they focus more on the flashy stuff, what they see in the Boots, and give more importance to the brilliance than Xander’s actual performance.”

Many observers predicted Ennis to win by stoppage, but Ortiz doesn’t think the fight will end that way.

“No way. I don’t think this will be a knockout. No, Boots won’t knock out Xander. I’ll tell you that now,” Jamaine said. “He’s a gigantic kid.”

Ortiz said some fans overlook Zayas’ physical development since turning pro.

“You’re talking about 16 years, these are your growing years. Men, you grow until you’re 26, 28. He’s still newborn. He’s still going to grow.”

The former lightweight also pointed to Zayas’ technical fundamentals as a major strength ahead of the fight.

“I think he’s actually able to move a lot, has good turns and stuff like that,” Ortiz said. “Jaron’s brilliance outshines all of Xander’s work. You know, when you see this whole style, it’s off the basics. His fundamentals are there.”

When asked about his final prediction, Ortiz left little room for doubt.

“I will say it unanimously.”

Ennis and WBA and WBO junior middleweight champion Zayas will fight on June 27 at the DAZN PPV gala in one of the most anticipated fights of the year, and the undefeated rivals will face each other after years of fan expectations for this fight.

Last week, claims emerged that David Benavidez had avoided a fight with Artur Beterbiev, which was suggested as one of the reasons for the latter’s passivity.

However, the coach of the “Mexican Monster” rejected this suggestion, claiming that Beterbiev’s team was “lying” and calling for a fight.

Beterbiev, who has 20 knockouts in 22 fights, lost his undisputed featherlight heavyweight world title last February in a rematch with Dmitry Bivol, but the Russian-Canadian has yet to fight since then as talks for a third fight with Bivol continue to drag on.

However, Beterbiev recently told the media that he had agreed to a fight with undefeated boogeyman Benavidez, which would take place in early 2026, but the team of the reigning WBC featherlight heavyweight ruler “changed their mind.”

“Benavidez is the kind of person who talks much more than he says. But it must be admitted that it is conducted very competently. He is already world champion in three weight categories, but his boxing is sullied and of course there are questions about some of his victories.

“He had a fight with Anthony Yard and after that fight I agreed to go out with him. Apparently his team didn’t expect me to agree so quickly, so they immediately changed their mind and chose [Zurdo] Ramirez.

“It was a year ago, it has become the norm in boxing – I will box, I won’t, I will choose my opponents – I like this one, I don’t like that one. I have a different mentality – it is foreign to me.”

Now the trainer of the newly crowned WBA and WBO cruiserweight champion, Benavidez, who prides himself on his willingness to fight any opponent, has responded, and his father/trainer Jose Benavidez Snr refuted the accusation in an interview with Boxing Scene and confirmed that they still wanted the fight with Beterbiev and that it could be done in “five minutes”.

“They lie. We want to fight him. Let’s make this fight happen. Tell us [Beterbiev] manager to contact me and we will arrange this fight within five minutes. Do you have his manager’s number? Let’s go.

“Nothing happened, but we still want to fight him. We are here to fight anyone. If Beterbiev is ready, let’s do it. Who wants to fight? Let’s see. I think everyone is talking about it.”

Benavidez is currently linked to a fight with fellow cruiserweight champion Noel Mikaelian, who has been informed that he must face Benavidez to avoid being stripped of his WBC world title.

Ben Whittaker has shared his thoughts on David Morrell’s defeat to Zak Chelli, comparing the result to one of the biggest shocks imaginable in sport.

“Yes, it was something like England beating Panama or something like that in the World Cup.

“It wasn’t supposed to happen and I think Morrell knew it wasn’t supposed to happen. He probably just showed up thinking it was going to be an uncomplicated job. He really got caught with a stupid shot and that’s boxing for you,” Whittaker said, discussing the defeat in an interview with Ring Magazine.

Morrell entered the May 9 fight as the ponderous favorite, but suffered a 10th-round loss to Chelli in one of the biggest upsets of 2026. Few observers predicted that Chelli would triumph over the highly regarded Cuban challenger.

While Whittaker was critical of Morrell’s approach, he stopped brief of dismissing the Cuban’s future chances. Instead, the British featherlight heavyweight suggested that the result may have been Morrell underestimating his opponent rather than a sign that his career was permanently off course.

“But if they do it again, I don’t think it’ll be the same. I think he’ll come in and do the job for him,” Whittaker said.

Whittaker is currently preparing for his June 27 fight in Brooklyn, Modern York against Peter “Popeye” Dosenovic, which will be his first professional fight in the United States. The undefeated British featherlight heavyweight continued to climb the rankings and has recently been linked to several notable fights in the country, including a potential clash with Anthony Yard.

Robert Segal is a boxing reporter at Boxing News 24 with over a decade of experience covering fight news, previews and analysis. Known for his first-hand reporting and in-ring perspective, he delivers authoritative coverage of champions, challengers and emerging talent from around the world.

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Last update: 2026/06/09 at 2:17