Boxing
Zayas says Ennis “saw it today” during the match
Ennis stepped forward several times while looking down, pointing a finger at the 23-year-old champion and closing the distance until both fighters were chest-touch. The situation escalated as Ennis continued to make gestures at close range, forcing officials to step in and separate them.
Zayas didn’t respond in the same way. He remained noiseless, unresponsive, and later pointed to the same exchange as evidence that the matchup might not go as Ennis expected.
“He kept trying to believe that he was as massive as me, that he was as statuesque as me. It’s different. It’s different. He saw it today,” Zayas said during a press conference.
In the June 27 fight, Ennis will move up to 154 pounds to challenge Zayas, who holds the WBA and WBO titles. While most of the initial focus was on whether Ennis’ skills could handle the welterweight division, Zayas focused his message on physical presence and composure.
Even though Zayas is only 23, he has a maturity that usually takes a decade longer to develop. Ennis was clearly trying to check the younger man’s chin, metaphorically speaking, before they even put the gloves on.
Closing that distance and getting into his space, Boots looked for a crack in his armor, a wink, a stutter, or a reactionary shove that would signal that Zayas was feeling the heat.
Instead, Zayas treated it like a featherlight sparring session for the mind. There are several reasons why his reaction, or lack thereof, is so telling:
Zayas looked physically comfortable. When a guy increases his weight to fight you and tries to bully you, staying still is the best way to gain more power. It sends the message “you can’t move me.”
Zayas has become a marked man since signing at the age of 16. He’s used to veterans trying to be his “little brother.” He didn’t fall for it because he had already seen the script.
By not reacting, Zayas actually put pressure on Ennis again. Now Boots must wonder why his usual scare tactics didn’t work.
This is a case of an elite talent trying to employ alpha energy against a hero who is perfectly content to let his titles and his physique do the talking. If Ennis wanted to say Zayas was upset, he showed up empty-handed.
“I just feel like he gets frustrated when things don’t go his way, and he’s really going to be frustrated on June 27,” Zayas said.
Xander is basically telling the world that Ennis hits a “frustration trigger” when he can’t find his rhythm. The two fights with Karen Chukhadzhian are the perfect template for Zayas’ argument.
In their first meeting in early 2023, Chukhadzhian’s movement and constant angles snapped Ennis’ 19-fight knockout streak. You could see the irritation building in Ennis as the rounds wore on and the highlight reel remained out of reach.
Even though Ennis won the rematch in Philadelphia in 2024, many described it as a “flat” and “sloppy” performance. Despite the knockdown, Ennis looked visibly concerned about his holding and defensive tactics. He even admitted later that it’s demanding to “stand up” in front of guys he doesn’t respect as his biggest threats.
If Zayas causes Ennis to miss in the first few rounds on June 27, he’s betting that “Boots” will lose his temper and make the kind of defensive mistakes we’ve seen in his recent outings.
“Man, to be great you have to face the good guys,” Zayas said. “Just take the effortless way. I want to be great. That’s how you do it.”
Zayas positions himself as an old-school master who finds the biggest threats while casting doubt on Ennis’s career management.
While “Boots” is undeniably talented, the perceived wobble in his career has created an opportunity for Zayas to attack his “greatness”:
Missing out on the Vergil Ortiz fight when both were emerging contenders is often cited as a missed opportunity to prove he was the next generation’s top dog.
Whether it was promotional hurdles or strategic waiting, the fact that Ennis never shared a ring with Terence Crawford while “Bud” held all the cards at welterweight remains a major “what if” question.
Making the correction rather than challenging his top rival immediately after advancing gave Zayas the ammunition to say Ennis was playing it secure.
By going public, Zayas is trying to get into Ennis’ head. He basically says, “I’m the youthful lion who wants smoke, and you’re the one who’s waiting for the right conditions.” He puts pressure on Ennis to not only win, but to be spectacular and prove Zayas wrong.
Zayas seems to understand that in today’s boxing competition, fans respect the “take on everyone” mentality more than an undefeated record against weaker competition.
Gardzielik was dropped and lost every round on all three scorecards. Nmomah offered limited resistance before being stopped in the ninth. Huerta went the distance but lost 100-90, 100-90, and 99-91. Those victories showed Mielnicki can dominate carefully selected opposition. They did not demonstrate that he is prepared for a championship fight.
Top Rank moved Mielnicki methodically by matching him against fighters with attractive records but little recognition in the United States. The approach helped him collect regional belts and climb the sanctioning-body rankings without facing anyone near the top of the middleweight class.
The more revealing performances came against Khalil El Harraz and Connor Coyle. Mielnicki edged El Harraz by majority decision and then struggled to a majority draw with Coyle. The New York State Athletic Commission later changed the Coyle result to a no-contest after he tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs, but the ruling did not erase what happened during those 10 rounds.
Mielnicki believes beating Williams would answer criticism of rankings that place him No. 3 with the WBO, No. 7 with the WBA and WBC, and No. 9 with the IBF.
“I feel like having a name like him on my resume will silence a lotta that,” Mielnicki told Keith Idec of The Ring.
Williams (20-2, 13 KOs) is a considerable upgrade. The physically strong southpaw applies pressure and can make Mielnicki fight while moving backward, an area that the trio was not equipped to test. Mielnicki must show that his footwork and inside game hold up when an opponent closes the distance and refuses to remain at his preferred pace.
Still, beating Williams would not establish Mielnicki as one of the best at 160. Hamzah Sheeraz stopped Williams, and Carlos Adames defeated him decisively over 12 rounds. Williams occupies the middle of the first tier: capable enough to expose a protected contender, but well below the elite.
That makes him an appropriate screening test. A Mielnicki loss in his New Jersey backyard would make his lofty rankings difficult to defend. A convincing win would earn him the opportunity to face the leading middleweights, not prove he is ready to beat them.
Martinez was much more effective and landed the harder punches. Lester had the support of the Guatemalan people with a healthy attendance of 6,848 at the USC Galen Center. The interim WBC super middleweight champion is the only boxing champion of any kind for Guatemala; Martinez is held in high esteem, receiving the full support of his country. After the victory, he celebrated at Lafayette Park at the Festival Chapin with his fellow countrymen.
ProBox promoter Garry Jonas stated at the post-fight press conference they’re exploring the options of holding a Lester Martinez fight at a soccer stadium somewhere in Guatemala, hopefully for January of 2027. The energy and crowd at the Galen Center was electrifying as the crowd would erupt in cheers every time Lester would land a big punch.
Holding an event in Guatemala would definitely draw a crowd. Lester is becoming a bigger star with every fight, and if he’s able to secure a fight with the winner of the Canelo Alvarez-Christian Mbilli fight, he would only become that much bigger. Trainer Esau Dieguez said of the fight, “The truth is we would like to face the winner, but because of name recognition and what it would bring, we would like to fight Canelo. Being that we already fought Mbilli, but I expect Canelo to win. I think Canelo will win, I hope we can make the fight. I know the WBC may beat around the bush, but our hope is Lester will fight for the full world title.”
It was the fight against Mbilli that raised Lester’s profile and introduced him to the world. Although it was ruled a draw, there are many who believe Martinez should have been awarded the decision. Lester stood toe-to-toe with the power puncher, exchanging punch for punch with him. Martinez outlanded Mbilli 412 to 273 in total punches, outlanding him in 9 of 12 rounds (Compubox).
He tried securing the rematch with Christian, but the fight never materialized. Expecting a tough fight against the Canelo-Mbilli winner, Lester said, “I think for now I will relax, but I know what is coming will be more difficult, and we will prepare for it.”
Knowing that he will have to perform at his absolute best against whomever the winner may be. Lester has proven he has the skills to compete at the championship level, and he has the full support of an entire country with him in Guatemala; they want nothing more than to have their first full world champion.
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