The DAZN commentator believes the June 27 title fight will determine whether Ennis belongs to the pound-for-pound boxing elite

Todd Grisham believes that Jaron “Boots” Ennis will face the most critical fight of his career on June 27, challenging Xander Zayas. The DAZN commentator said Ennis needs to dominate the unified champion to prove he belongs in the same conversation as Terence Crawford.

“As great as Boots Ennis is, I still don’t think he has the respect of many die-hard boxing fans,” Grisham told DAZN Boxing. “This feels like Boots’ moment. Not only do I think he has to win this fight, but I think he has to dominate, separate himself from Xander Zayas and say, ‘Listen, this guy is not even on my level.’ I’m on Terence Crawford level. This is my level of warrior. “

Ennis (35-0) won two welterweight titles before deciding to pursue greater opportunities at 154 pounds. During the documentary, he revealed that he specifically requested the Zayas fight after negotiations to fight Vergil Ortiz Jr. did not come to fruition.

The fight for Zayas is the biggest challenge of his career. The Puerto Rican star has repeatedly said that to achieve greatness it is necessary to face elite opponents, and he insisted on this matchup even though he was an underdog in the eyes of many observers.

Grisham believes the stakes are especially high for “Boots” because expectations have followed him throughout his career.

“I think he’s number one in expectation to win,” Grisham said. “But to do that, you need fights like this.”

The winner of the June 27 fight will leave the Barclays Center as one of boxing’s top names in the junior middleweight division and with a powerful case for a spot near the top of the pound-for-pound rankings.

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

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Last updated: 19/06/2026 at 4:31

Tyson Fury has revealed his contingency plan should his fight against Anthony Joshua fall through, outlining his desire to become a three-time world heavyweight champion.

The two Brits are expected to clash after their next appearances, but no specific date or location has been announced for their long-awaited clash.

However, what has been confirmed is this Joshua will face little-known opponent Kristian Prenga on July 25 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Although the 36-year-old has a good chance of winning, there is still a possibility that he loses to Prenga. In such a case, the fight against Fury would quickly go up in smoke.

Similarly, Fury must win his second warm-up fight, which is scheduled for August, if he is to have any chance of facing his long-time rival, either later this year or in early 2027.

The 37-year-old is therefore aware that there are many factors, both inside and outside the ring, that may seriously call into question his home struggles.

Perhaps because of this, he has now opened the door to meeting Agit Kabayel, even though it happened he previously claimed he would not be interested in the fight for “any amount”.

“These are my two brothers. They’re both wonderful guys and they’re both future heavyweight champions of the world. Agit Kabayel and Joseph Parker. He’s already been a champion, so he knows what I’m talking about.

I wish them all the best in the world and I won’t fight any of them for any money because some things aren’t worth fighting for.

Either way, Oleksandr Usyk must first decide whether to face Kabayel, the “interim” WBC champion, or abandon his mandatory challenger and pursue alternative options.

If the 33-year-old German is left without an opponent, Fury will say so IFL Television that now he would be cheerful to enter the ring with him.

“If [Usyk] withdraws from the fight with Kabayel, then I enter the fight with Kabayel. So if for any reason the fight with Joshua doesn’t happen, then I will get my chance [becoming a three-time world champion] against Kabayel. And I’ll take it to Wembley [Stadium]”

As the No. 1 contender in the WBC, Fury would have a chance at the full title against Kabayel if Usyk decides to relinquish his green and gold belt.

The issue came up during discussions over the possibility of a future bid involving Haney and Keyshawn Davis, who has been designated as mandatory challenger to the WBO welterweight title. Due to ongoing reports and rumors linking several high-profile fighters to Zuffa Boxing, questions have been raised as to whether Dana White’s company could enter the bidding process for major title fights.

According to Olivieri, the answer for now is no.

“As of today, they cannot bid because they are not a licensed WBO promoter.” Olivieri told Cigar Talk.

Olivieri explained that promoters must complete the organization’s licensing process and meet various requirements before they can bid for the WBO purse. This includes submitting the necessary documents, paying licensing fees and becoming a promoter recognized by the sanctioning authority.

The WBO president emphasized that the restriction is procedural, not political.

“If Zuffa Boxing complies with all the required rules, policies and requirements under our regulatory structure, why wouldn’t we allow it?” – Olivieri said.

The comments are noteworthy because they provide one of the clearest indications of how Zuffa Boxing will fit into the existing title system if the company decides to pursue championship fights.

White has repeatedly spoken about shaking up the boxing industry, and speculation has increased in recent months about Zuffa’s ties to several prominent fighters. However, it is clear from Olivieri’s comments that any involvement in WBO title fights would require the company to first obtain approved promoter status under the organization’s rules.

This means Zuffa Boxing remains on the outside and is not looking at offers from the WBO, although the door appears open if the company decides to enter the system.