“We’ve got a monster, monster fight,” Hearn told iFL TV.
While many champions wait until they’re 27 or 28 to take a 50/50 unification fight, Xander Zayas is doing so at just 23. On the other hand, Jaron Ennis is bypassing the typical acclimation period at 154 pounds to jump right into a multi-belt unit 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. Let’s make an undisputed champion.”
This fight is a monster, from a boxing standpoint. It is a regional powerhouse. Barclays Center is expected to sell out almost immediately due to the geography. Historically, neither has carried a major national PPV as the “A-side”.
Without a loud, egocentric personality to drive TikTok tracks or mainstream headlines, they rely purely on the “best vs. best” narrative to move the needle for their clash on DAZN PPV.
Hearn probably uses the term “monster” to describe the sports risk rather than the current bank account. Most promoters patronize a 23-year-old unified champion like Zayas. Putting him in against a boogeyman like Ennis, who has 31 KOs and is a former unified welterweight champion, 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 transition 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, respectable champion. In an age of influencer boxing and loudmouthed trash talkers, quiet excellence is a tougher 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 will create a superstar after the final bell. It’s the old-school way to build a name: if you win a “monster” fight, the casuals eventually find you.
