Jaron 'Boots' Ennis is set to unleash his full fury this Saturday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where he'll face off against Xander Zayas in a title unification bout that's got the boxing world abuzz. With 36 wins under his belt – and an eye-watering 31 of them by knockout – Ennis has been touted as one of the sport's most exciting prospects since bursting onto the scene.
But don't let anyone tell you this young gunslinger is just a flash in the pan; he's not exactly what they call 'current' at the moment, but that doesn't mean he's not building a legacy to be reckoned with. At 5ft 10in tall and boasting a reach of 74 inches – plus the rare ability to switch seamlessly between southpaw and orthodox stances – Ennis is as close to unbeatable as you'll find in the ring.
So, what's got Ennis so fired up ahead of this showdown? Well, for starters, he's celebrating his 29th birthday just hours before stepping into the fray. But it's not about him; it's about cementing his place among the all-time greats, and proving that 'legacy tour' tag isn't just a fancy way of saying 'has-been'. He's done it once at 147lb – now he's gunning for the same unification titles at 154lb.
Ennis has always had the natural ability; after all, this is the bloke who won the National Golden Gloves title aged just 17. But what sets him apart isn't his physique or his knockout power – it's the Philly pride that runs deep in his veins. "It means everything to be from Philadelphia and be a Philadelphia fighter," he insists, with the characteristic swagger of a true blue fighter from the City of Brotherly Love.
The debate rages on about Ennis being too hot for some top fighters to handle – yet not quite famous enough to force those big-name showdowns. But you can bet your bottom dollar he's unfazed by all that chatter; as long as he keeps winning, looking good, and putting on a show, who cares what anyone else has got to say?
This Saturday, Ennis gets the chance to silence his doubters once and for all when he takes on 23-year-old Puerto Rican prodigy Xander Zayas – a lad who's already united the WBA and WBO titles in his own right. If Ennis can get past this talented young gun, it'll be another giant leap towards cementing his status as one of boxing's best.