Boxing
Jaron Ennis sees himself in Ben Whittaker, but Xander Zayas won’t stand still
Published
3 months agoon
“He’s really intelligent and intelligent,” Ennis said. “He plays when he wants and kills when he wants. That’s me. I’m the same type. Our style is fan-friendly.”
While Ennis and Whittaker may share an appreciation for entertaining audiences, their upcoming assignments come with very different challenges.
Whittaker (11-0-1 (8 KO)) will face Richard Rivera in his American debut on the undercard at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The 29-year-old Olympic silver medalist has not yet faced a world-class opponent in his professional career. His recent wins over Benjamin Gavazi and Brian Suarez came against opponents who lacked the speed and technical ability to consistently cause him problems.
Even Liam Cameron, whose first fight with Whittaker ended in a controversial draw, wasn’t the type of graceful boxer who could make Whittaker chase him around the ring. The rematch allowed Whittaker to answer some questions, but it didn’t prove how well his style would hold up against elite airy heavyweights.
Meanwhile, Jaron faces a different kind of test against Xander Zayas.
Unlike the slower, high-pressure opponents against whom Ennis often looked spectacular, Zayas brings movement, discipline and a technically sound boxing style. The undefeated titleholder operates with a edged jab, uses angles effectively and rarely gives his opponents extended opportunities to showcase his offensive creativity.
This can make it much more hard for Boots to “have fun” in the ring.
Critics have long questioned the level of opposition Ennis faced throughout his career, arguing that the accolades surrounding him outweighed the quality of his resume. A dominant victory over Zayas would be one of the strongest responses to these concerns.
Whittaker mostly faced opponents who wanted to fight on his terms. Zayas are not built that way. The 23-year-old prefers to box with the jab, create angles and reset his opponents. For Ennis, this may mean fewer opportunities for entertainment and more emphasis on solving the puzzle in front of him.
If not, the conversation around Ennis may remain unchanged.
Whittaker was largely allowed to dictate the terms of his fights. On June 27, Ennis will be tasked with doing something more hard: imposing his style on an opponent whose game plan is based on denying that freedom.
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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Boxing
Dana White Responds to Terence Crawfords Return from Retirement for Ryan Garcia Fight
Published
6 hours agoon
September 28, 2026
Zuffa Boxing promoter Dana White believes Terence Crawford will end his retirement, but remains unsure whether he would choose to face Ryan Garcia.
The 38-year-old announced his exit from the sport last December, calling time on a scintillating career that saw him become a three-division undisputed king.
He did so by moving up two weight classes and dethroning Canelo Alvarezwho produced an impressive performance but ultimately lost their super-middleweight encounter by unanimous decision.
But while Crawford cemented his greatness by moving up to 168lbs, his frame, even now, is much better suited to the 147lb and 154lb divisions.
He has therefore been linked to fights with Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and, more recently, Garcia, who retained his WBC world welterweight title with a second-round finish over Conor Benn earlier this month.
It then came as a surprise when The Ring’s Mike Coppinger reported that a clash between Garcia and Crawford, who has expressed his own bewildermentis being considered as a replacement for Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua.
The two heavyweights are set to collide at Cardiff’s Principality Stadium on December 11 but, due to issues behind the scenes, their long-awaited showdown now appears to be in jeopardy.
While addressing the Garcia rumour at a Zuffa press conference, though, White admitted he is unsure that Crawford would make such a speedy return.
“I don’t know if that’s the fight Crawford would come back for. There’s a lot of options out there, obviously for Ryan. The question is: what is the fight that Crawford would come back for?
“I think there’s a fight out there that Crawford would come back for, [but] I don’t know if Ryan’s it.”
Dana White CLEARS UP Crawford vs Garcia rumors!!! 💨 🔥
“I don’t know if that’s the fight Crawford would come back for. There’s a lot of options out there obviously for Ryan, the question is what is the fight that Crawford would come back for!”- Dana White pic.twitter.com/JDwDK9u8w4
— Fight Hub TV (@FightHubTV) September 27, 2026
While White has claimed to have been involved in negotiations, it remains to be seen – should the fight actually take place, that is – whether he will have any promotional participation in Fury-Joshua.
Boxing
Gervonta Davis Expresses Desire to Share Fight Card with Naoya Inoue
Published
10 hours agoon
September 28, 2026
Gervonta Davis says he would share a card with Naoya Inouebut he will not fight him. He points to the weight difference. They compete 13 pounds apart: Tank could come down five pounds to 130, and Inoue could move up eight. Both would have to take a risk, but the fight is possible if they want it.
“I’ll fight on a card with him, but not [against] him. It’s weight classes for a reason. Let him be great,” said Tank Davis on his MoneyTwofly account on September 27 and then deleted.
Davis floating a joint event forces the question of billing: where would Tank actually fight on that card? Sticking Davis into an undercard slot below Inoue reduces him to a fading attraction riding another champion’s coattails. Inoue cleaned out divisions and chased every meaningful belt across multiple weight classes.
Davis spent years squatting on secondary titles at lightweight while sidestepping elite threats. Place both men on the same bill, and the difference in ambition becomes impossible to ignore. He has never stepped through the ropes as an underdog. Every matchup has been against opposition he was expected to beat, which is another reason why his popularity has gone downhill since 2023.
Dropping to 130 pounds to fight Inoue would ask something of Tank that his recent schedule hasn’t: make the weight, take a serious risk, and face a fighter who can hurt him. Win or lose, that is the kind of fight that would get people talking about Davis for what he does in the ring again.
Sharing Inoue’s card offers Tank an easier deal. He gets the crowd, the international attention, and a big payday without having to fight Inoue. If Tank then takes a soft opponent in the co-feature, he gets the benefit of Inoue’s event while avoiding the challenge that made the idea interesting in the first place.
About the author
Boxing 24/7 Wire
Boxing247.com is an independent boxing news publication covering the sport since 2001. It provides original reporting, fight analysis, schedules, results, and informed coverage of major fighters and events worldwide, backed by more than 25 years of professional boxing journalism.
Boxing
Dan Rafael Backs Joshua and Hearn Amid Fury Dispute
Published
23 hours agoon
September 27, 2026
Eddie Hearn has spent years building Anthony Joshua into one of boxing’s biggest attractions. Dan Rafael argues that Hearn has no reason to give Dana White a promotional role in Joshua’s fight with Tyson Furyespecially if the agreement excludes him.
The December 11 fight has been announced for Cardiff on Netflix, but its promotional arrangements remain in dispute. Critics have portrayed Hearn and Joshua as obstacles to a fight fans have wanted for years. Rafael’s response is that a signed deal should mean something, even when enforcing it delays a major event.
“Why should Eddie Hearn help assist that by letting them get the foot in the door to be the promoter of arguably the largest fight going right now on a mega platform like Netflix? Eddie is not a dummy. Why would you do that? You protect your asset. You purposely negotiated a deal point that said that this person could not be involved in the promotion,” said Rafael to iFL TV.
His point is sharper than a personal defense of Hearn. Joshua is the attraction Matchroom helped build. Giving Zuffa Boxing credit for promoting Joshua–Fury on Netflix would put a direct competitor beside that attraction at the moment of maximum exposure. White would gain a showcase for Zuffa without having spent the years developing Joshua’s career.
The broadcast relationship adds another reason for Hearn to stand firm. A prominent role in this event could help White build ties with Netflix for future boxing shows. It does not follow that one fight would make Zuffa the platform’s gatekeeper, but Hearn would hardly want to help a rival make that introduction using Matchroom’s biggest star.
None of that settles what the contracts actually require. They have not been made public, and Rafael’s assertion that Joshua’s agreement is being breached remains his account of the dispute. But if Matchroom negotiated a restriction on White’s promotional role, treating it as disposable because the fight has been announced would weaken the value of the term Hearn fought to secure.
Rafael proposed a way through: The Ring promotes the main event, while White attends at Turki Alalshikh’s invitation and participates through Zuffa fighters on the undercard. Whether that satisfies Joshua’s agreement is for the parties to decide. It does, however, separate White’s presence at the show from promoting Joshua–Fury itself.
Rafael also raised Joshua’s camp’s concern about Fury joining the agreed drug testing program. That deserves scrutiny and a response from Fury’s side, but there is no basis here to claim either camp is using testing as a bargaining tactic.
Rafael believes the payday will ultimately bring everyone together. Until then, Hearn’s refusal to yield on White’s role has a straightforward business logic: Joshua helped make this fight valuable, and Matchroom does not have to hand a rival the promotional credit for it.

About the author
Boxing 24/7 Wire
Boxing247.com is an independent boxing news publication covering the sport since 2001. It provides original reporting, fight analysis, schedules, results, and informed coverage of major fighters and events worldwide, backed by more than 25 years of professional boxing journalism.
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