Xander Zayas is confident he will silence his critics when he steps into the ring against Jaron "Boots" Ennis next weekend.
The 23-year-old unified super welterweight champion has faced doubts about his age, experience, and power, but he remains unfazed ahead of the June 27th fight at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
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Zayas told TMZ Sports that the high-stakes matchup between two undefeated fighters makes it special.
"I feel like every fight is important and I've always given that importance to every fight.
Obviously, this one is a bit different because you have undefeated fighters that are well known in the boxing world and in the athletic world so I feel like it's exciting," Zayas said.
He added, "A lot of fans want to see it, they want to watch this fight.
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Two hungry lions that are looking forward to keep making legacy and keep making history, so I'm really excited for it!"
Undefeated Records at Stake
Both fighters enter the bout with perfect records. Ennis is 35-0 with 31 knockouts, while Zayas is 23-0 with 13 KOs.
Despite his accomplishments, Zayas is a heavy underdog (+375), but he says being doubted is nothing new.
"Man, that's always been the case in my life," Zayas explained.
"I've always faced guys that are older than me, that have more experience than me, and I'm always in my head and in a way the underdog because they always say, 'Oh the young guy doesn't have that much experience.'
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Until we get in the ring, so at the end it comes down to June 27."
Zayas believes that after the fight, there will be no question about his status.
"This is the fight. After I win June 27th, there's no doubt, I'm the biggest name at 154 [lbs.
] I've been saying it throughout the years. Now I have to prove it," he said.
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The fight is one of the most anticipated of the year, and someone's undefeated record will come to an end.
