Xander Zayas ended his ongoing exchange with Vergil Ortiz Jr. on Wednesday. kept active by posting a training video that doubled as a birthday message and a quiet dig.
The clip shows Zayas working out in the gym as he wished Ortiz a happy birthday, but he did so in gear marked “Boots,” a clear nod to Jaron Ennis. The post followed recent back-and-forth between the two, where Ortiz fired off a “rent-free in your head” line after Zayas backed himself into a possible fight involving Ennis.
𝐋𝐎𝐀𝐃𝐈𝐍𝐆… pic.twitter.com/rTGm2F9XH8
—Xander Zayas (@XanderZayas) March 25, 2026
Xander has taken a lighter tone on the surface, but the pattern has remained the same for the past year. He answers Vergil Jr. without retracting the original stance, and he continues to tie the conversation to bigger names and bigger fights.
The reaction online quickly moved to a familiar theme. Fans leaned into the Puerto Rico-Mexico corner, pointing to past rivalries and calling for the two to meet next. The exchange has been building in that direction for months, even without a formal move from either side.
Promoters have not announced talks, but the idea of a Puerto Rico weekend fight has come up again in fan discussion, with both fighters active and moving through the same weight range.
Zayas does not let the moment cool. He keeps Ortiz in the conversation while putting himself alongside the bigger names at 154. The fight can cool off quickly if Xander faces Ennis and is stopped by a decision or decisively beaten.
A one-sided loss to ‘Boots’ would confirm the view some fans already have of him as a hype job. It would be a good idea for Xander who was promoted to the highest rank to focus on the task at hand against Ennis instead of fighting Vergil Jr. arousing what he may never achieve.
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Last updated on 2026/03/25 at 22:02
