The Ennis-Zayas Aftermath: Where Does Two-Division Unification Leave Boots Ennis's Career?

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The conversation following Jaron Boots Ennis's unanimous decision win over Xander Zayas to unify the junior middleweight division is the most interesting in boxing right now. Ennis at 28 is a unified two-division champion with a 30-0 record, coming off the dominant performance of his career against a genuine world-class opponent at 154 pounds. The question of what comes next is not a small question. It is the question that determines whether Ennis becomes a name that casual sports fans recognise or remains the best-kept secret in the sport.

The most commercially interesting direction is Crawford coming back. Terence Crawford beat Errol Spence to become undisputed welterweight champion in 2023 and has been relatively inactive since, having expressed interest in a super fight that would justify his return. Ennis at 154 pounds with unified titles is the opponent whose commercial profile and skill level would justify Crawford at 37 coming back for one more major night. The conversation is already happening and both camps understand that a Crawford-Ennis fight at 154 would generate more money and attention than anything else available to either fighter.

The Canelo path is longer but conceptually present. Canelo Alvarez at 160-168 has the biggest audience in boxing. If Ennis continues at 154 and consolidates his position as the clear best fighter at the weight, the Canelo option is the super fight that would maximise his commercial ceiling. The more immediate question is whether the DAZN broadcast deal that has carried his career can be leveraged into the kind of mainstream broadcast exposure that Canelo's HBO and then DAZN money built. The audience for this fight is largely the boxing community. The Crawford or Canelo fight would reach the sports mainstream.

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