Xander Zayas Certain of Victory Against ‘Flat-Footed’ Jaron Ennis

Fight night is quickly approaching for Jaron Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) and Xander Zayas (23-0, 13 KOs) at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. And it looks Zayas might just have found a flaw to take advantage of.

Talking to Ariel Helwani, Zayas highlighted the flaw that he was certain would give Ennis a hard time inside the ring.

“He’s flat-footed. I mean, he knows it. He knows it. He knows it. That’s why he works on it every day,” he said.

Ennis is not generally considered a flat-footed fighter. In fact, one of his biggest strengths is his ability to switch stances. That said, there is a reason some people have called Ennis “flat-footed.” The criticism isn’t that he literally lacks footwork, but because of how he often chooses to fight. Unlike boxers who are constantly bouncing, circling, and fighting off the back foot, Ennis frequently plants his feet in front of opponents and keeps a relatively wide stance. He is also seen controlling range through his timing, quick reflexes, and flawless counters that make his fights a fun sight to see.

This is, in fact, very different from someone like Gennady Golovkin in his prime, who used a more planted pressure style by design. However, the main question remains: how will this style translate in his fight against Zayas?

“I think he’ll say, ‘I have better footwork than he does,'” he said. “I’m going to win. I’m going to win like I always do.”

“He Knows I’m Different”

Ennis is not one to stay quiet after such an accusation. Also talking to Helwani on his show, he squashed the claims while taking digs at Zayas.

“I ain’t gonna lie. I feel like he just be saying anything. I feel like he gets in front of a camera and just talks. He doesn’t know what to say. It’s like ‘flat-footed’? Like, come on. He can think whatever he wants to think, and on fight night, he’s gonna see,” he said. “The difference between me and him is that there are so many fighters that fight like him in this boxing game. Whether it’s in a real professional fight, amateur fight, sparring, I’ve seen him many times. He never seen nobody like me. I’m different and he is gonna see, firsthand. He knows I’m different.”

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.

See author's posts