Lessons and Legacy: Lots of both at stake for Zayas and Ennis

By Norm Frauenheim

Youth defines Xander Zayas and will continue to do so through at least his challenging date against Jaron “Boots” Ennis in an intriguing crossroads fight for both.

For the 23-year-old Zayas, it looms as an early milestone, a measure of maturity in his career path from a high school kid with a Top Rank contract.

For the 28-year-old Ennis, it’s an opportunity to finally deliver on his long-advertised potential, including a place among pound-for-pound contenders.

It’s compelling, mostly because it’s a steppingstone, a stage for the future. For now, it looks as if the key to that future is there for Ennis. 

Seemingly, he’s been emerging for years, always at the edge of crashing the pound-for-pound party but never quite getting there perhaps because of inactivity or Terence Crawford’s long reign of dominance.

Crawford is retired. The formal announcement this week of Ennis’ 154-pound bout June 27 at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center is a sign of renewed possibilities in a very active division. Never has Ennis had a better chance to announce his arrival. He talked as if he knew that at a formal news conference this week

“I think Xander bit off way more than he can chew,’’ Ennis, a former unified welterweight champion, said Wednesday in Brooklyn. “Come fight night, he’ll see. I’m going to show everyone that I’m the best in the world.”

Betting odds suggest that’s exactly what Ennis will do. He’s about a 3-to-1 favorite. By knockout?

“For sure,” Ennis said.

Given the difference in their ages, it’s an irony that Ennis, 1-0 at 154, is the challenger. With two pieces of the junior-middleweight title, Zayas is boxing’s youngest current champion.

But youth, often called fickle, might be Zayas’ problem against Ennis, who at 147 occupied and conquered bigger stages. That, at least, is a theory, one that helps explain the early odds.

“There’s levels to this and I’m going to show him that,’’ Ennis said. “It’s about legacy for me. I want to show the world why I’m the best.”

Legacy is one of the most overused words in sport. As Ennis enters his prime, however, he might have a better understanding of what it means than Zayas, still more prodigy than legend. For Ennis, legacy is now. For Zayas, it’s tomorrow.

Despite the promise and plaudits attached to champions barely out of their teens, the experience can often be a crucible.

David Benavidez, a Phoenix-forged fighter, is just the latest example. Benavidez — a former two-time champion, yet still unbeaten – won his first 168-pound title when he was 20, making him the youngest champion in the history of the super-middleweight division. He beat Ronald Gavril in 2017. Then, the belt was stripped because of a positive drug test.

A couple of years later, Benavidez regained the title, stopping Andre Dirrell.

In his first defense of his second title in 2020, an overweight Benavidez lost it on the scale and then took out his frustration with a punishing stoppage of Roamer Alexis Angulo. He was 23-0, 23 years-old and – yet suddenly — a two-time ex-champion without a loss on the ledger. Growing-up is hard to do.

Benavidez has. In what is still an evolving career, he has moved beyond 168 and Canelo Alvarez to a prime-time resume that includes a light-heavyweight belt and a much-anticipated Cinco de Mayo date May 2 in a bid to take Gilberto “Zurdo’’ Ramirez’ cruiserweight titles. He’s added a commanding personal presence to his command of the ring.

For Zayas, however, there are lessons from Benavidez’ formative years. There are also a couple of notable parallels: Zayas is 23-0 and 23-years-old. Welcome to the crucible.

Ennis wasn’t the only one to talk legacy Wednesday. Zayas did too.

“It’s always been about legacy,’’ said Zayas, a Puerto Rican living in Florida who grew up wanting to be Miguel Cotto in a Puerto Rican lineage that also includes Wilfredo Benitez, a 17-year-old champion, still the youngest ever. “Becoming the youngest world champion at 22 when I did it. Youngest unified world champion. And now fighting one of the best in the world in the division. It’s about legacy.’’

Maybe lessons, too.