Crawford Picks Ennis Over Unified Champ Zayas in 154-lb Showdown

Veteran champion believes rising star Ennis has the edge despite Zayas' recent title wins.

Apr. 10, 2026 at 8:08am

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A cubist, geometric painting depicting the dynamic action of a boxing match, with the figures of the two fighters fragmented and abstracted into overlapping planes of color and shape.Two of boxing's brightest young stars collide in a high-stakes title unification bout that could determine the future of the 154-pound division.Los Angeles Today

Three-division undisputed champion Terence Crawford has predicted that rising welterweight star Jaron 'Boots' Ennis will defeat the younger, but already unified 154-pound champion Xander Zayas when the two meet in a highly anticipated June 27 title unification bout.

Why it matters

This matchup pits two of boxing's brightest young stars against each other in a high-stakes clash to determine the top junior middleweight in the sport. Zayas has quickly risen to the top of the division, but Ennis is seen by many, including Crawford, as the future of the sport and a potential future pound-for-pound great.

The details

Zayas, age 23, enters the fight as the reigning WBA and WBO junior middleweight champion, having won both titles in the last six months. Meanwhile, the 29-year-old Ennis is a former unified welterweight champion looking to capture titles in a second weight class. Crawford believes Ennis' greater experience and size advantage as a former welterweight will be the difference, even though Zayas has shown maturity beyond his years in his recent title run.

  • The Ennis vs. Zayas title unification bout is scheduled for June 27, 2026.
  • Zayas won the WBO 154-lb title in July 2025 and added the WBA belt on January 31, 2026.

The players

Terence Crawford

A three-division undisputed champion who is considered one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the sport today.

Jaron 'Boots' Ennis

A 29-year-old rising welterweight star who is moving up to junior middleweight to challenge for unified titles.

Xander Zayas

A 23-year-old unified junior middleweight champion who is seen as one of boxing's brightest young stars.

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What they’re saying

“Man, that is a tough fight, especially for Xander at this point in his career, but it shows his heart and his confidence that he has in himself. He is ready to go make history for his country and he is going to do real well in that fight. I just think that, right now, it is a little bit too early for him.”

— Terence Crawford, Three-division undisputed champion

“Because he has, I mean, everybody at 147 was always smaller than them. He was a big cop. 54 is different. You got these guys coming from 190 from 181, 85, 200. It's different.”

— Xander Zayas, Unified 154-lb champion

What’s next

The winner of the Ennis vs. Zayas fight will likely be in line for a lucrative title unification bout against the winner of the June 15 fight between WBC and IBF champion Sebastian Fundora and WBO titleholder Tim Tszyu.

The takeaway

This matchup between two of boxing's brightest young stars will go a long way in determining the future of the junior middleweight division. While Zayas has quickly risen to the top, Crawford believes Ennis' greater experience and size advantage will ultimately be the difference in this high-stakes clash.