We are a little over a month away from the unified junior middleweight title fight between champion Xander Zayas (23-0, 13 KOs) and undefeated Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) on June 27, live from the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, NY, on DAZN PPV. International Boxing Hall of Famer Felix ‘Tito’ Trinidad will be among those watching this fight closely, and as you would imagine, he is rooting for his fellow Puerto Rican to come out victorious.
Speaking to YSM Sports Media at the National Boxing Hall of Fame ceremony on April 26 in Montebello, CA, the 53-year-old Puerto Rican legend Trinidad was in a great mood as he was joined by his father, Felix Trinidad Sr. Their relationship has been up and down over the years, but on the day Trinidad was inducted into the National Boxing Hall of Fame, his father was right there by his side, as he had been when he managed and trained his son all those years ago.
The island of Puerto Rico has produced some great champions, including Edwin Rodriguez, Wilfred Benitez, Miguel Cotto, and Amanda Serrano. Trinidad was asked what message he has for those Puerto Rican fighters who are on the come up and those who are still active.
“I feel good and proud to be Puerto Rican,” Trinidad told YSM Sports Media. “Those who are starting out or are world champions from Puerto Rico, keep training hard and giving it your all so that one day you can reach the Hall of Fame, regardless of which one it is.”
The conversation then shifted to Puerto Rico’s latest world champion, Zayas, who currently holds two world titles at junior middleweight and has the biggest fight of his young career coming up on June 27. “Xander Zayas is on his way,” said Trinidad. “We know he has a real tough fight coming up, but we know he can win that fight.”
“Xander has always been a disciplined fighter because it shows during his fights. In the fights that have gone the distance, I’ve noticed he’s made it to the 12th round very well. I know this fight won’t be an exception. I know it will be a tough fight, but we are expecting Xander to win.”
Trinidad was never afraid to fight the best, and no fight at the time was bigger than when Trinidad faced Oscar De La Hoya for the unified welterweight titles, pitting two young, undefeated fighters against each other. This Zayas-Ennis fight is strikingly similar to the Trinidad-De La Hoya fight on paper. Although their fight didn’t deliver the entertainment value to match the hype, the hope is that Zayas-Ennis does, and according to Trinidad, he expects Zayas to have his hand raised at the end of the night.
We will soon find out as the buzz for this fight begins to bubble up.
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