Big Names in Resume ‘Don’t Even Matter’, Says Jaron Ennis

Jaron Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) is all set to challenge Xander Zayas (23-0, 13 KOs) for his unified WBA and WBO super welterweight titles at Barclays Center on Saturday. While there have been accusations of him not facing major fighters, it isn’t a matter of concern, or so he says.

In an interview with the Guardian, Ennis admitted that the Zayas fight was a stepping stone toward reclaiming his rightful legacy.

“First of all, for me, it’s a legacy thing. I call this the legacy tour and we just getting started. I was unified lineal champion at 147 and I’m about to be unified champ again at 154. So, it’s already written,” he said.

The reason many people call the Zayas fight a legacy fight for Ennis is that it’s one of the first times he’s facing a young, undefeated, highly regarded world champion in a true marquee matchup where both fighters are viewed as elite talents. A win would make Ennis a unified champion in a second weight class and help answer the lingering question that has followed him for years, ‘How good is he really against top-level opposition?’

However, the criticism still remains, about him not having major names in his resume. While Ennis has beaten good fighters such as Eimantas Stanionis and David Avanesyan, he is yet to share the ring with the generation-defining names that fans wanted to see him fight, such as Terence Crawford, Errol Spence Jr., or even the likes of Vergil Ortiz Jr. This, in turn, paved the way for critics to argue that his record lacks the kind of elite scalp that instantly validates greatness. But that certainly doesn’t singe Ennis’ feathers.

“At this point, it really don’t even matter to me. As long as I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing and that’s winning and putting on a show and looking good, I don’t really care what nobody say,” he said. “Once I figured out that we wasn’t going to be able to make the Ortiz fight, I told Eddie: ‘Yo, go get me Xander, please. He the next best option. He got two belts. He got what I want.”

“Got To Respect Him”

Meanwhile, he was all praise for his upcoming opponent Zayas. Talking in the same interview, he highlighted how he (Zayas) was the perfect opponent for him at this time.

“You got to respect him for taking the fight. You can’t say he’s too young. He a champion. He got two titles at that. And I don’t want to hear none of that after I beat him,” he said. But that certainly doesn’t mean he’s going to go easy. “The difference between me and him.it’s so many fighters that fight like him in this boxing game. I seen him many times. He never seen nobody like me.”

Joshua Ben Joseph

Joshua Ben Joseph is a Boxing writer renowned for his unparalleled coverage of live events and insightful interviews with prominent athletes in the world of combat sports. With a career spanning over several years, he has authored more than 800 articles. As an experienced editorial cartoonist and investigative journalist, Joshua has a keen eye for detail and a passion for delivering quality content. Aside from his writing, Joshua is an avid powerlifter and solo traveler, embodying the same spirit of determination and exploration that he brings to his work. With a deep love for the sport of boxing that dates back to childhood, he is committed to delivering the highest quality content and helping to build a more transparent and credible industry.

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