“We have a monster, monster fight,” Hearn said to iFL TV.
While many champions wait until they are 27 or 28 to take a 50/50 unification fight, Xander Zayas is doing it at just 23. On the other side, Jaron Ennis is bypassing the typical acclimation period at 154 pounds to jump straight into a multi-belt unification in only his second fight at the weight.
“Listen, it’s not going to be an easy fight,” Hearn said. “Let’s get these fights made. Let’s make an undisputed champion.”
This fight is a monster, from a boxing standpoint. This is a regional powerhouse. Barclays Center is expected to sell out almost instantly because of the geography. Historically, neither guy has carried a major national PPV as the “A-side.”
Without a loud, egocentric personality to drive TikTok clips or mainstream headlines, they are relying purely on the “best vs. best” narrative to move the needle for their clash on DAZN PPV.
Hearn is likely using the term “monster” to describe the sporting risk rather than the current bank account. Most promoters protect a 23-year-old unified champ like Zayas. Putting him in with a boogeyman like Ennis, who has 31 KOs and is a former unified welterweight champ, is a “monster” move because the loser’s trajectory takes a massive hit.
This fight only happened because the Ennis-Vergil Ortiz Jr. fight fell apart due to legal issues. Hearn had to move to a fight that felt equally dangerous to keep the “Boots” momentum alive.
Ennis is a gym rat who lets his hands do the talking, and Zayas is a polished, respectful champion. In an era of influencer boxing and loud-mouthed trash talkers, quiet excellence is a harder sell to the person who only watches two fights a year.
Hearn and Bob Arum are betting that by putting two real fighters together, they create a superstar after the final bell. It’s the old-school way of building a name: if you win a “monster” fight, the casuals eventually find you.
