XANDER ZAYAS VS. JARON 'BOOTS' ENNIS PRESS CONFERENCE LIVESTREAM

[0:00] tonight in mma we are now set to score a goal like that you can see what it meant to me personally [0:19] all to play for which is so exciting these teams have to come in here and give it their all have [0:43] a real nice tempo goes baseline watch out oh my for a big time throw down fight wikonda's only [1:01] non-stop action access all areas of the biggest fights even before the bell rings i hope you guys [1:08] enjoy this fight as much as i will that's a lot of fans out there look at that the drama keeps [1:19] continuing this is just brilliant this is boxing this is life it's not uh it's not joking no politics [1:35] no fluff just first glory and a little bit of history cheers to that of serie action will bring [1:48] you so much of it here on the zone magnificent it's tremendous the zone is the home of boxing [2:06] really spurs you on gets you going let's make history pure power under the bed sure there aren't [2:31] any monsters dead burn good night mom it are the following program is recommended for those 16 and [2:45] over as it contains sporting violence possible bad language and flashing imagery we're live from [3:31] brooklyn new york to begin the countdown to saturday fight night and the blockbuster clash here at the [3:36] barclay center between xander zayas and jaron boots ennis the pursuit of greatness greatness is a word [3:44] people throw around like it means nothing rise above expectation will you do what others want so you become [4:01] what others can't greatness is welcome inside barclays center a fabulous arena i'm sierra santos alongside [4:20] sergio mora the latin snake and sergio you know a thing or two about winning a title in this division [4:27] it was only in 2008 you aged me out there it's only 18 years come on 18 years i could have had a adult [4:35] son by now yeah it was 2008 i won in uncasville connecticut it's vernon forest that's an amazing [4:41] division because you got a puncher and you got the speed exciting division especially for a fighter like [4:46] jerome uh ennis who's moving up and seeing if his power is going to carry to junior middle and of [4:51] course zayas who's a more natural 154 pounder exciting as it gets yeah your title could vote [4:56] now and buy cigarettes i guess go gambling if they wants to no no gambling in california well two of [5:02] the most exciting fighters in any weight class sergio are going toe-to-toe saturday fight night on [5:09] the zone how electric is this place going to be well you got a puerto rican from new york so we're [5:15] going to be at the puerto ricans i mean you got 90 minute drive from philadelphia so it's going to [5:19] be lit this is exactly what new york wants i mean after just the next winning the puerto rican day [5:23] parade well ahead of a june hell of a june to be uh rocking things out here in new york so yeah [5:28] it's going to be lit in brooklyn one of the things boots said though he is cool as a cucumber he doesn't [5:33] care is it's 90 for xander he's still going to stand his ground now the 154 division sergio is [5:41] absolutely stacked this saturday night you've got a number three going up against the number five [5:48] the ring belt remains vacant how capable are either of these two of going undisputed well they're going [5:56] to have to get past the towering inferno sebastian fandora who i think is probably the most dangerous [6:01] fighter 154 but boots and this is knocking that pound for pound so it all depends how he takes care [6:07] of xander zayas is he going to struggle with the young kid is he going to actually lose against [6:12] them it all depends how he shines on saturday and send a message to the 154 division you also have [6:17] josh kelly another excellent fighter from the uk excellent boxer puncher so we got a lot of a lot [6:23] of fighters a lot of talent but we still don't have that one at the front of the line well i am so excited [6:28] to hear from the main card in just a bit but the war of words already underway between boots and xander [6:38] he's one of the best at 154 pounds and i say i'm the best at 154 pounds only way to find out is by [6:44] stepping in the ring i think i do everything better you know i all around all around the board i do [6:49] everything i can box it a bang i got everything i got all the skills in the world everybody in the [6:53] division if they fight sound to fight me they're gonna make the most money it's guaranteed boots it's [6:58] not about the money it's about the legacy i want to be the best he's he's he's never been uncomfortable [7:03] he's always had it his way he's always had it his way he's all life and when i make your [7:08] judgments and he doesn't have an answer for them he's going to be uncomfortable i'm telling you hey [7:13] this is going to be too much for you and i'm glad you think that way i'm glad that it's too much for [7:17] you i'm glad that you think it's going to be too much good you make any mistakes but he won't pay for [7:21] sure it's time to run out of luck now you're going to run out of luck them bucks tomorrow [7:25] i mean guaranteed and i know i could be perfect for four rounds you can't be so you can't be [7:29] for the 12 rounds don't make no mistakes i'm saying now don't make no mistakes it's just 27 and the [7:37] new two-time weight division champ xander zayas versus jaron ennis tops the bill on saturday and ahead of [7:49] that three more fights on an exciting undercard we start with a middleweight showdown between jahai [7:56] tucker and uri sidenyo british protege ben whitaker makes his u.s debut against richard rivera [8:03] the ring magazine prospect of the year emiliano bargas faces bryce mills in our chief support [8:10] and then it's zayas boots for the wbo and wba junior middleweight titles those two to come in the second [8:17] part of this press conference but first let's hear from the undercard in the company of our own chris [8:23] manix chris this has been one of the most anticipated fights of the year since it was [8:41] announced and that anticipation has been building over the last few weeks and months uh at the core [8:47] of any of these great shows is a great undercard i think this show is delivering on that uh matchroom [8:55] and top rank are rolling out its best prospects for this one we've got ben whitaker the former olympic [9:01] silver medalist undefeated in his pro career he will make his u.s debut against the veteran richard [9:07] rivera and emiliano vargas one of the best young fighters in all of boxing he will take center stage [9:12] at the co-main event against bryce mills and to open the show jahai tucker queens born brooklyn raised [9:19] he will be opening the show against undefeated yuri sidenyo so a lot of good talent on this card [9:25] some serious young fighters some guys a lot of stakes as they go forward in their careers tickets [9:30] are on sale right now over at ticketmaster.com and they are going fast and if you can't be here you [9:36] can watch the fight live and exclusively worldwide on the zone we've got the fighters up here on the [9:42] stage the promoters are up here with them as well and we'll start with them and we'll start to my [9:47] left with eddie hearn and eddie you'll have your chance to say your piece on boots ennis in just a [9:52] couple of minutes when he comes up to this stage but you've been talking about boots as a future [9:56] pound for pound great to your right you've got another guy that you've been talking about as a [10:00] future pound for pound great and ben whittaker make his u.s debut on this show yeah thanks chris [10:05] welcome everybody and thank everybody for their support for what is the fight of the year on [10:11] saturday night unquestionably the fight of the year the event of the year this whole arena the [10:16] barclays center will be completely full up to watch what boxing's all about the unified world [10:21] championship between two young undefeated fighters and you're right chris as well this undercard is [10:27] a thriller obviously the prelims as well who and we're just talking about the main televised fights [10:31] up here love to see emiliano vargas down there and and a man to my left bryce mills looking to [10:37] tear up the script jahil tucker and as well from a top-ranked matrim perspective we kind of got [10:43] the rollout of our big aces you know on saturday night emiliano is one of the top guys and the man to [10:50] my right i think he's a future superstar of the sport in ben whittaker i mean this guy people [10:56] talk about he's a showman people talk about he's a big personality i talk about him as a great fighter [11:01] an olympic silver medalist one of the top amateurs this our country has ever produced but a guy that [11:06] is going to go on and rule the 175 pound division and one of the biggest stars in the sport and this [11:12] is a big moment for a young british fighter to make their u.s debut to walk out here in front of a packed [11:17] arena the razzmatazz work the personality the profile that's all been done now huge amounts [11:23] of media as we move into a very important moment in his career against a very good fighter in in [11:28] popeye rivera as well so you guys are not just going to see an incredible main event on saturday [11:33] you're going to see the best young fighters from both sides of the atlantic and and for matrim on [11:38] our behalf this is a guy that sits at the top of our priorities in ben whittaker one of the biggest [11:43] stars in boxing in the weighting and a future world champion at 175 pounds well thank you eddie [11:48] todd duboff over on the other side president of top rank the uh the phrase no one develops prospects [11:54] as well as top rank has been said so many times it might as well become part of the company's [11:59] official slogan but here you are again with another top prospects one of the most exciting fighters young [12:05] fighters in all of boxing and emiliano vargas undefeated has the legacy of his father behind him [12:11] what makes you believe that emiliano is the next big star to come out of top rank stable well first [12:17] of all uh you know i walked into the press conference today and i saw fernando sitting [12:21] there and he said i told you my son's the face of the sport and so you know you as soon as you see him [12:28] and it just lights up because it goes back to my days when he was an olympian in 1996 and i remember [12:33] like you were going to be the the face of the sport so i think you know there's something special our team has [12:39] had um our eyes on emiliano from years but way before he was he turned pro and just as he was on [12:46] this this stage you know what what really makes that that ability to find somebody that has that [12:52] incredible that shine is a marketability like emiliano does but it's also developing them the [12:57] right way and our matchmakers you know bob and i stay out of matchmaking that's why we're so good at [13:02] this we let the matchmakers take over because if not we're we're terrible at doing it but emiliano has [13:08] delivered on every level and you know to put him into new york and to put this card together in new [13:15] york when we're we're cutting through the greatest sporting event of of of the year by far with the [13:22] world cup and to do this in the same time and be able to do that with a show like this you have to [13:28] build every piece and by putting all of these fighters on the way we did it in the car in in uh [13:34] barclays is amazing yeah it's going to be tremendous undercard i want to begin with the [13:38] fighters and i'm going to start over to our right with you hi tucker jai you uh to say you're confident [13:43] is an understatement we we had a chance to catch up with you earlier in the day and you said unequivocally [13:49] that you are the best middleweight in all of boxing that you are only a belt away from being [13:54] recognized as the best middleweight in boxing uh explain that why do you believe that you are [13:59] number one that 160. i mean the proof is in the pudding you know like nobody got a resume like i [14:05] got uh in boxing without a world championship at this point you feel me this is about my second or [14:09] third olympian that i fought another top 10 top five rank guy that i fought you feel me uh you know [14:16] and only time won't tell saturday is the the not the first step but it's just another step just to [14:21] show you i'm the best right you mentioned you're facing another undefeated opponent top guy who's also [14:28] coming in with a lot of confidence what are you expecting to show in a fight like this it's a show [14:32] that no matter what man no matter how confident he is no matter how hard y'all say he hit no matter [14:36] what man he's a part of me bro you feel me and i just can't wait to demonstrate that it's a guy that [14:42] comes to fight the guy that's not afraid to throw a lot of punches yeah i know we all but all of us [14:46] came to fight you know everybody throw punches everybody everybody train hard everybody do this but [14:51] one thing i'm for certain about you feel me he has nothing for me easily i know you can hear me [14:55] he has nothing for me you get what i'm trying to say for certain 100 percent a bt dubs guys i'm on [15:00] i'm on my twitch stream say hi to the stream guys yeah word but yeah for a certain though like i'm like [15:07] i'm so serious i just can't wait to show y'all all right looking forward to that to open the show [15:11] on saturday yuri cedeno uh ricardo salis is going to translate for us but he said right away you've got [15:18] nothing for him uh what do you think you're going to bring to this fight [15:23] yuri estaba comentando que no tienes nada para el si que lo que vas a traer ese sábado en contra de [15:30] el el ni ni se imagina a lo que el se va a aproximar el sábado [15:36] he doesn't have anything to to show him on saturday basically yuri how do you see this fight [15:54] playing out que lo que piensas como piensas que va a desarrollarse esta pelea se muere el no tiene [16:02] nada yeah we're gonna knock him out he's gonna die there l belt to ass that's what's gonna happen [16:09] i'm gonna destroy this guy the only one is dead is him and his team bro you feel me all these guys [16:14] man watch man you feel me i just can't wait to show you if i could i'd fight right now it's just i can't [16:18] i gotta wait till saturday but hey man yeah like i said saturday don't forget the belt to ass bit as well [16:27] don't i'm sorry i'm sorry oh toss yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah yeah he might get to [16:31] what are you going to see what's up on friday man kate la boca what you talking about wait till you see [16:50] on wait till you see on saturday bro you know what's up already you can laugh and smile all that [16:54] i can talk because i want to talk but i can't talk because when i get in the ring bro my hands [16:58] going on dominicanos you're going to run in your house you're never you're going to face a dominican [17:08] like me you could never run in my house you run in my house i'll send you right back out you could [17:11] never run in my house never run in my house you know that the dominicans were crazy right what you [17:17] saying dominicans are crazy since when did i ever care about that all of us are crazy look at what we all [17:22] doing we punching people for a living man everybody here don't care about that bro i'm gonna see you [17:28] on saturday okay about that i talk i talk inside the ring not outside no me importa no me importa [17:37] no me importa bro saturday yeah saturday saturday bro el sábado saturday that's what i told you [17:45] saturday that's what i told you you don't gotta tell me we signed a contract for saturday you don't [17:49] gotta tell me saturday we agreed on saturday you gotta tell me saturday shut up and respect me [17:57] saturday they're gonna remind you you know remind me of what i don't know anything bro i [18:02] one thing i do know you can't do anything about nothing bro yo after the first round bro we're [18:07] gonna come back to this conversation you got no idea what are you talking about hey man i'm [18:14] got nothing nothing that's the same man don't close your eyes you have to be sure what you're [18:22] talking about i'm sure all right well we're off to a good start look at me yeah look at him look at [18:30] what are you saying oh you don't want to know what he said what do you say that in front of your [19:01] family they're gonna hit you like i said man i don't got nothing else to say to him yo listen [19:09] unless you're trying to fight right now don't talk to me your twitch numbers must be going through the [19:14] roof as you're trying to get on i mean shoot the fans they liking it but good i got a better show for [19:19] them on saturday man good all right eddie eddie i think it's his stage the last time we were on this [19:24] stage we had the same thing going good keep it i mean this stage has got special a lot of spice here [19:29] keep it cut listen keep it coming all right don't don't stream saturday you can only stream it on [19:34] design yeah all right looking forward to that middleweight division big fight between two guys [19:40] two top young contenders in that weight class uh richard rivera big shoes to fill after after that [19:46] you are always in character showed up at the fighter meetings in character now here you are ready to go [19:52] as popeye always in character you know they call me popeye the sailor man but for some reason i kind [19:58] of feel a little bit more like mel gibson in the patriot um ben you ever seen the patriot please [20:05] say bro have you ever seen the patriot no you're more into anime right you already know i i kind of [20:12] prefer the facts you know 1726 british try to come they thought that we were weaker they thought that we [20:21] were out resourced they thought that you guys would completely beat us you know the odds were completely [20:28] against us similar to how they are today but i'm telling you i fight with pride i fight with [20:34] youthful zuberance and i'm telling you come saturday them odds won't mean a thing i'm very excited and i [20:43] really appreciate you for this opportunity it's been a long time coming richard you are a big underdog [20:51] as you said coming into this fight you've only got the two losses on your resume both of them were close [20:56] both of them could have gone either way what is giving you the confidence right now that you can beat this [21:01] man you know as a fighter you just go into every fight confident you don't think otherwise otherwise [21:08] you just shouldn't be in the ring you know i'm here for a reason i've been doing this my entire life [21:14] and it's about time it pays off you've said during this week that you are largely unimpressed with ben [21:21] whitaker you say that his personality kind of hides the fear that he has in the ring why do you say that [21:29] well i figure he's just somebody with a lot of antics so as you see i figured i'd keep my jokes [21:34] outside of the ring and keep it very serious in the ring how do you see this fight playing out [21:40] like i've told the world before plan a is to knock them out plan b we just gonna beat them up [21:47] all right looking forward to that ben we'll turn to you making your u.s debut you built quite the [21:51] fan base over in the uk quite the brand over in the uk now you get a chance to fight here [21:56] in new york on the big stage here at the barclays center you heard what richard had to say uh any [22:02] thoughts on what he had to say about you yeah it sounds cute you know it's just saying what it's [22:07] supposed to say but firstly i want to thank my lord and savior jesus christ and i'll get me to this [22:12] position i want to thank brooklyn for the warm love and uh saturday we're just gonna slice him up and [22:18] cook him man now he's come up here with his pipe looking a bit zesty uh but it is what it is man he said [22:25] the british are coming on part jamaican too and you know what we do yeah you know what we do so yeah i'll [22:31] see you saturday man you know he is an experienced guy with some good wins on his resume competitive [22:37] losses very competitive losses what kind of fight are you expecting on saturday yeah he's a good [22:42] fighter man but i just believe i'm better in every department i'm taller i'm quicker got better iq [22:49] i'm damn sure for a better looking too so for me i took all them boxes and saturday's work time i saw [22:56] you and eddie doing some shopping earlier in the week for some jewelry said a knockout [23:02] will get you to head over to van cleef for some new hardware how do you feel this fight's going [23:07] to end it can go anywhere i want it to go you know i mean i feel like i'm prepared for anything in that [23:12] ring uh i've seen some chinks in his armor he's talking about he wants to come and knock me out [23:18] that sounds like music to my ears because the way he comes forward he's going to get clipped with [23:22] something sweet if he wants to go on the back foot he's getting broke up too so for me it's going to be [23:29] a beat down and it's going to be surgical while i do it richard do you think he's got the power to [23:34] stop you well the thing is i trained knowing he is strong i trained knowing he is fast i know [23:47] that he is well prepared but that's just the thing he has no clue what he's up against popeye the sailor [23:56] man to to better know it baby strong to the finish because i eat that spinach yeah we'll see man all [24:04] right looking forward to that 175 pound division between these two guys uh bryce mills over to my [24:10] left looking like jerry mcnamara hanging out there in the syracuse outfit uh huge opportunity for you [24:16] you've been building up your name fighting upstate new york area verona kind of area won 16 fights in [24:23] a row since your first loss how are you feeling about this fight going up against a guy like emiliano [24:29] i couldn't feel any better uh this is the biggest opportunity i've had to date so i'm just very [24:37] blessed to be here very blessed to have this opportunity against the prospect of the year [24:42] and i'm going to prove to the boxing world that i belong this is my moment 16 w's in a row but [24:51] this w right here is the most important there's no doubt about that you've been and your team have been [24:58] talking to top rank for a while about this fight you have been saying i want to fight emiliano vargas [25:04] not a top guy you want to fight this guy emiliano vargas why has it been so important to you [25:08] to get this guy in the ring he's the prospect of the year there's no better person to call out [25:15] than the prospect of the year right uh i was in no position to call just the champion just yet [25:22] right i'm early in my career some would say so calling out the prospect of the year that's the [25:28] biggest claim i can make at the moment so i'm just ready to prove myself and prove that i belong [25:34] against one of the best in boxing you've had some nice wins over the last few years um you stopped [25:40] aaron aponte in the first round you beat alex martin uh what's different about you since that first pro [25:46] loss man uh you know i like to say i'm learning on the job and i'm learning with every single [25:52] professional fight that i have uh i came up as you know uh kickboxing background the amateurs [25:59] so i had to learn the job and i had to take some fights early in my career that a lot of guys didn't [26:05] have to take you know i didn't have the glitz and the glamour out of the gates that was an assigned [26:09] prospect so i had to come up the hard way but uh i'm a completely different fighter so it's tough to [26:16] really say there's one thing that i learned from that fight but you know you're going to see saturday [26:21] night everything that i learned how do you see this fight playing out saturday night i'm just [26:26] going to have my way i'm going to be in control from the time the bell rings and i'm going to bring [26:32] the fight to him and i believe he's going to be able to take it all right emiliano you laugh as you [26:38] hear that what is your reaction to that that's what he's supposed to say that's yeah i've heard that [26:43] every single fight i mean look all you got to do is watch the elbows because i know you're mma guy [26:48] that's how you got that uh first was the first round knockout aaron aponte make sure the commission [26:53] marks that you know he likes to use his elbows but look i'm ready to go i mean like i said he's [26:58] supposed to say that um you know he's in my way in my world title uh this fight was supposed to be [27:05] was supposed to be a former world champion but uh you know he got the opportunity and i'm gonna take [27:11] full advantage of it you know i'm uh either on his face or his ass is the way he's going down so you've [27:16] been taking note of some of the things he's been saying this week you were telling us earlier day [27:20] of the talk of kind of how he's been pushing you a little bit what have you made of [27:24] kind of the trash talk going into this fight uh i mean like i said that's what he's supposed to say [27:29] so uh i'm gonna say what i know i mean he doesn't train at the intensity that i do i know that for a [27:35] fact so you know i'm gonna do what i do best i'm gonna go in there and uh and be great you've been [27:41] pushed uh deeper into fights the last two ten rounds two fights ago you went nine in your last time out [27:47] how do you think that's helped you develop as a fighter i mean the experience is everything you're [27:51] not gonna knock every guy out uh you know my last two fights i was able to get the experience as [27:57] quintana was taking his foot out the gas i put my foot on the gas and that's why i got the stoppage [28:02] victory uh you know we brought my uncle roger in who's worked with uh loma chanko my father as well who [28:08] continuously wants to learn and see me grow and we've been working a lot on you know uh different different [28:14] things that you're gonna see saturday night so i can't wait to get in the ring something special [28:18] always happens when we're in new york uh from prospect of the year to uh you know my 45 second [28:24] knockout of madison square garden you know something always special happens i'm grateful to the fans that [28:30] always welcome me and uh sky's the limit what do you think a win on saturday would be a springboard [28:37] too for you i mean anybody could win but it's how you do it i know uh it's either gonna be 10 rounds [28:42] of dominance or you know he walks into something ugly i think that you know bryce mills is gonna [28:48] come with everything in the kitchen sink i mean that's his only shot he fights like he has power he [28:53] only has seven or eight fights but you know uh talking trash like he he's a power puncher too so [29:00] i just i can't wait and i'm gonna tell him to take his own device and don't blink bryce i just want [29:05] to turn to you one more time do you think you've got the power to stop him he'll find out saturday [29:10] night don't blink come on man that was not a real that was that's my statement you can't [29:15] take my you got a real punchable but you talk like you have uh 20 knockouts out of 21 fights [29:21] i'm not i don't know man i'm a good guy i'm speaking my game keep on doing what you you come with [29:28] everything like you do and you're going to walk into something ugly i promise you i promise you not [29:33] your trainer not your family nobody who's here can save you i promise you that i'm real scared guys [29:38] yeah i know you mean i know you're a tough guy a very tough guy oh yeah and i'll buy you a new [29:43] suit after since you like complimenting me at the press it's the first time i've ever been [29:47] complimented by somebody that i'm fighting i'm sorry man i thought you look good yeah i know i know [29:53] i'll i'll get you a suit after this fight for sure i'd love that thank you man yeah no doubt [29:58] all right we'll end on that note then all right we're gonna face these guys off reset the stage in [30:03] a couple of moments come back with the main event press conference but it's going to be a terrific [30:07] undercard here at the barclays center on saturday night on the zone nevers with the biggest nights [30:16] in boxing all year long and it's never been bigger for any fighter in the history of this country [30:24] every week it's on so take your seat and join us ringside [30:37] the undisputed global home of boxing watch only on his own actually sergio highly impressed with [30:51] tuckers espanol do you think he's been practicing well he lives in new york of course he's going to be [30:57] around dominicans and puerto ricans and mexicans and everyone else but yeah now i'm impressed i love [31:01] the fact that they're selling this fight the dominican got that dominican power he's an olympian [31:06] but belt to butt is what they're saying we're going to see if the words can actually translate [31:10] into some punches for the fans here oh you took away the profanity i i appreciate that search [31:15] siempre señorita i'm not going to cuss on here come on thank you here in front of a lady and [31:20] in frente de una dama i appreciate that who has the advantage in this one i think the hometown fighter [31:25] the hometown fighter has one i i understand that dominican comes with a lot of confidence a lot of [31:30] power he switches stances but no i think the hometown fighter hometown fans it's that dominican swag [31:37] though that's what it is you can't discredit it hey swag doesn't win fights you can't discredit it [31:43] and then ben whitaker we'll talk about it in just a second but you one thing you said to me ahead of [31:49] this press conference is this is his time to step up on this stage and absolutely shine yeah because [31:55] look he's been getting the quick knockouts he's very flamboyant he has that style he has that he has [32:00] everything a promoter wants but he's gonna have to slow it down to get to the to the knockouts against [32:06] the guy that never been knocked out in rivera techniques the jab that rivera make the mistakes [32:10] don't get too over excited trying to please the fans and everyone else let the knockout come to you [32:16] and then that's how you send messages throughout the light heavyweight division what do you think of [32:21] his garb did you did you like do you like the popeye suit no i like spinach but i don't like that [32:26] popeye come on man dress like a grown man if you're popeye stop it when's the last time you ate [32:31] spinach sir i see i saute spinach with a lot of garlic i love it okay that's fair enough and then [32:37] this one this is good enough to be the co-made because you got emiliano bargas right there's so [32:43] much hype around this guy and my favorite thing that you say about him is what the hook and the look [32:51] and he has something else the pedigree the bloodline and look at him he's built for greatness [32:57] the thing about him is that he comes from a fighting family his his brothers were obviously [33:02] actually supposed to be just as great but he's the one at the top of the line he's the alpha [33:07] and he's going to prove it against mills someone that's coming to fight once beaten power puncher [33:11] he's in your face in your chest this is going to be an explosive train wreck and i favor an explosive [33:18] train explosive train wreck it's going to be a collision it's not going to end it's going to end quick [33:22] okay well bryce mills you had a chance to speak with him during fighter meetings what was his [33:27] demeanor like college i told him i shook his hand i said if uh if i was if you're doing an interview [33:33] for a job you would have got the job he said all the right things well spoken very intelligent i love [33:38] the game plan he has planned for bargains i'm not going to say it here but the kids coming to win [33:43] well he's so clean cut he looks like he's going to a job interview by the way uh emiliano wasn't the [33:49] only one that got a compliment on his suit pre-presser i complimented you on your suit as well [33:54] sergio if you only knew where i got it and how much it cost you wouldn't be complimenting me thank [33:59] you sarah okay how much was it can you at least tell i only brought one nice suit and that's for [34:05] saturday all right so this one under a hundred dollars okay well it's saturday fight night you [34:10] got to come with it right because the zone is the global home of saturday night boxing and we split [34:15] our shows into four unique categories main event brings the sport's biggest names and fiercest [34:21] rivalries toe-to-toe like diego pacheco versus emmanuel aleem on july 18th championship delivers [34:28] lead matchups for boxing's major world titles including katie taylor's farewell at croke park [34:35] on september 5th then pay-per-view is our premium offering of must-see fights like canelo versus [34:42] zambili on september 12th there's also rising stars featuring the next generation taking center [34:50] stage so much to look forward to sergio i'm sure you're going to be on a couple of those fights [34:55] right yes i am and i'm looking forward to it i mean we got a lot of boxing every weekend all over the [35:01] country all over the world the zone the home of boxing can't wait every week on the zone where every [35:13] saturday the biggest fights the blockbuster shows are live only only on the zone design [35:24] so join us ringside because saturday night saturday night all right for fighting [35:46] well we've got a great main event this saturday but don't glaze over the undercard sergio two of [35:52] boxing's freshest faces are going to be under the bright lights of brooklyn and that includes ben [35:57] whitaker he was a fighter that britain had such high hopes for especially after winning the silver [36:03] in the 2020 olympics but his pro career to be honest it's been off to a slow start so what is his [36:10] potential though under the matchroom banner and what does he have to do to show it on saturday night [36:15] i think linking up with andy lee a former middleweight champion a big puncher and an extremely [36:21] gifted trainer that he's doing amazing things with joseph parker and so many others that chemistry [36:26] between both of them that's going to be the telling factor this kid has everything you want in a future [36:31] star but he needs to be calm with that with that speed calm with that exuberance calm with that swag [36:37] fight behind that jab fight behind responsible technique if he can do that and slowly grow into [36:43] the shine of of being a ticket seller and the star then i can be on board but for right now i'm not [36:48] convinced i'm not totally sold not yet sierra because he already has one blemish on his career [36:53] he came back and knocked out the guy but i still want to see more more technique more maturity i want [37:00] to touch on the guy who said has the hooks and the looks and it is emiliano vargas okay so son of a [37:06] legend he also has the the the honor of being the prospect of the year from ring magazine you saw what [37:14] he was able to do in his last fight what is the capability what is the ceiling of this 22 year [37:20] old fighter it really is high because he has the he has the last name and i like the way he responded [37:25] in his last fight it wasn't an easy fight he was able to to break down his opponent he was able to [37:30] find another layer so i want to see that from a puncher 17 wins 14 knockouts when you're that strong [37:36] when you're that gifted everyone goes down as soon as you touch them but not everyone's going to go down [37:42] on the championship level so you need to find other ways to win fights other facets in your game [37:46] and that's what i saw in his last fight emiliano has a lot of talents and the sky's the limit in my [37:52] opinion well we're about to hear from the fighters and i know you had a chance to meet with each of [37:58] them now xander zayas from what i understand he did show up there was rumors that he wasn't going to [38:03] show up but he did he was a little bit late what was he like when he was meeting with you guys because i [38:09] did see the one with boots and he was calm his demeanor is always nonchalant xander didn't show [38:16] up xander zayas didn't show up to the fire meeting but boots and his did look we've had interviews with [38:22] xander zayas before very likable kid he says all the right things he's waiting for this opportunity [38:26] he did not show up no he did not show up not for the fighter meetings no and there was a lot of rumors [38:31] outside but you know that's not neither here or there but boots ennis was there he looked great he [38:35] filled out the weight nicely and uh this is part of being a fighter sierra you know losing the weight [38:40] and timing it right till come friday night uh you're on weight and you're doing it responsibly [38:47] well he didn't show up for your fighter meetings i'm sorry to say it sergio but he did show up for [38:51] this press conference so let's go ahead and send it over to chris mannix who's got more with the main [38:56] event well thank you sierra and welcome back everyone to the main event press conference for saturday night [39:03] showdown between the unified 154 pound champion xander zayas and the former unified 147 pound champion [39:10] jaron boots ennis as i mentioned earlier from the moment this fight was added to the calendar [39:16] it has been among the most anticipated fights of the entire year and that anticipation has only grown [39:23] in the weeks that have followed because this is what boxing is supposed to be about you've got a 23 [39:29] year old two belt world champion who is taking this fight not because he has to but because he wants to [39:35] prove that he is among the best fighters in the entire world and then to my left you have an undefeated [39:40] former champion looking to take over a second weight class in just his second fight in it tickets are [39:47] available over at ticketmaster.com and if you can't be at the barclays center on saturday you can watch [39:53] worldwide live on the zone both fighters are up here on the stage both trainers both promoters and we [40:00] also have the vice president marketing alfie sharman sitting over here to my right alfie it is a great [40:05] time to be a disowned subscriber a great time to be part of the zone because you're signing promoters [40:12] left and right you've got a new deal with turner kicking off next week and on saturday you've got one [40:17] of the biggest fights of the year the biggest fight in the junior middleweight division between two [40:22] undefeated stars yeah one of the biggest fights in the world listen thanks everyone for coming out [40:27] um what a fight what an occasion uh what a moment for the sport uh as you say zander zayas versus [40:34] boots ennis for me is absolutely everything that a fight fan could possibly want from a pay-per-view [40:40] blockbuster event to world champions um to uh absolute stars of the sport that have already achieved so [40:47] much uh set against the backdrop of new york it feels like we really are at the center of the [40:52] sporting universe this week um and for me the biggest thing the best versus the best i think [40:59] perhaps this doesn't quite happen enough in the sport of boxing so i want to credit both fighters [41:04] both fighters teams and of course matchroom top rank for coming together to make this fight on our [41:08] platform as you say todd huge um sorry todd matt chris um huge huge moment for us next week we have [41:16] adela mason returning to the ring uh for our debut show uh on cnt sports we have the return of diego [41:23] bacheco in the in july we have willing to pay the lamont roach in august the return of aj in uh in july [41:30] and then the return of sale kaleno alvarez on the zone exclusively in september when i look at those fights [41:36] um the fights that we've already delivered in 2026 so far i have to say that this one does [41:41] genuinely stand out um and i'll tell you why i think the winner not only is going to be [41:47] uh a continued unified world champion in zander's case or potentially a two-way in in boots but the [41:53] future of uh of of boxing in north america um and potentially the world so i urge you to tune in on [42:00] saturday don't miss this spectacle don't miss this moment on the undisputed global home of boxing design [42:05] thank you all right eddie hearn uh i think he's got you covered in the schedule so you don't have to [42:10] yeah handle that he did well with that one um it's been a long road for you to get here [42:15] with boots and as you had some stops and starts months ago with virgil ortiz these negotiations went [42:20] on with top rank but now here we are finally at a fight that you believe is going to make boots and [42:26] as a superstar yeah thanks chris and again thanks to everyone for attending and all your help [42:31] promotionally and to the zone as well alfie's alluded to the schedule very proud to set up here [42:38] as as really their first partner in boxing and to see where they are now as the global home of boxing [42:44] incredible um thank you to top rank thanks um carl todd bob great partners to work we've always have [42:52] been we've got a great rivalry which we're about to turn around on saturday night and thank you to [42:57] zander zayas because he's doing what great fighters should do to try and prove that he's the very best [43:04] and i think at 23 years old already established as a superstar in the sport to take this kind of risk [43:11] we need to thank him for that and the fans need to thank him for that so thank you to everybody over [43:16] there over here you know i was talking to bob arum earlier and he was telling me the most incredible [43:22] stories about sugar ray leonard hearns hagler well this is one of those guys what you're about to see [43:30] on saturday night is one of the greatest performances from an american fighter that i think you've ever [43:35] witnessed i cannot tell you the excitement that exists within the team the smile that has been on [43:42] this guy's face all week because this is the moment this is the moment that he's dreamed of his whole life [43:51] to show you and show everybody in the world how great he is and this is a massive moment for our [43:56] team this is a massive moment for jaron ennis and these are great people as well these are boxing [44:02] people this young man has lived in the gym with his father for years decades i want to thank the entire [44:11] team everett ivan bosey what amazing people and it all comes together on saturday night it's only the [44:19] beginning because he's racing all the way to pound for pound number one of the sport but saturday is [44:26] just the beginning to show the world how great he is and again no disrespect to zander's eyes what a [44:32] fighter 58 and 0 between these two but on saturday night you're going to see the future of the sport of [44:39] boxing this is going to be one of the most clinical brutal displays we've ever witnessed and a packed [44:45] out stadium in here in brooklyn and everybody watching around the world on the zone he's going [44:51] to turn off their tvs he's going to walk out those doors and say this son of a bitch is a animal let me [44:59] tell you you have no idea what you are about to witness on saturday night this is going to be you're [45:05] going to leave with your jaws wide open with the hairs on your neck standing up because this is the [45:13] pound for pound number one of the sport of boxing and you are about to see i think you're ready for [45:18] this fight eddie i'm so pumped it's unbelievable uh todd duboff over to my right should also note [45:26] that the great bob arum sitting here front row new knee ready to go bob locked and loaded to be [45:32] ringside for this fight good to see you back here in new york uh todd you have promoted zander from the [45:39] very beginning the youngest fighter that top rank signed at that time i believe just 16 years old [45:44] when he signed his deal with top rank now he's getting ready for the biggest fight of his career [45:49] you've acknowledged this is a dangerous fight for zander zayas what is your confidence level [45:54] in zander going into this fight you know it's you know when we when we announced the fight eddie [46:00] told me of another plan that he would have had for us if he had zander zayas and i just you know i i said [46:08] you know i i we all thought about that but you know one thing that i really love about it is being in the [46:15] side of the business is listening to your fighters listening to their teams and there's nothing like [46:20] getting the motivation when the fighter wants it so much that you can't even it's palatable [46:28] he just wants to win he wants the biggest challenge so not only are we talking about a fight we're [46:34] talking about two guys that are in their prime there isn't some guy that's older and he's had his thing [46:40] these are two guys in their prime at their peak going at it and zander has delivered every step of [46:47] the way for us and every step of the way he says bring it on so i know eddie thinks we're going to [46:53] see this masterpiece on on saturday night and you know he should rightfully say that but i'm telling [47:00] you i've never seen a will like this i've never seen a puerto rican island just explode with enthusiasm [47:07] just wanting another superstar the next trinidad the next codo and zander knows it's him so we're [47:16] bringing puerto rico back to new york and it's in barclays on saturday and he has a lot to say about [47:22] that so eddie's got his hands full on saturday all right both promoters clearly ready for this fight [47:29] let's find out if the trainers are ready for this fight i want to start to my left with bosie and his [47:34] father and trainer of boots and bosie just tell me a little bit about how this particular camp has gone [47:40] and what kind of fight you're expecting on saturday night well first of all uh it's gonna be a it's [47:47] gonna be a good fight you know i mean between him and zander but it it all depends on how zander is [47:52] coming if you're going box or if you're coming straight at us we got something for it either way [47:58] but the camp is going like it normally go boots don't change nothing they do he do what he's supposed [48:05] to do he stays in the gym i don't have no problem with him at all you know i mean i don't have to [48:10] tell him what to do because he know what to do you know what i mean so you always see uh when it comes [48:15] saturday who's gonna be the the next uh junior middleweight champion of the world you know i mean [48:22] you're talking to him right now you mentioned how zander comes out and you've said in interviews [48:27] this week that if zander comes forward it's going to be a short night oh it is if you're coming forward [48:32] putting pressure like i see him fighting a few other guys and they're going it's not going to [48:37] last that long you know i mean if he get out there and box it might last for maybe six seven rounds [48:42] something like that eight rounds you know i mean other than that it's over you've been complimentary [48:49] of zander's skills but you've been clear that boots is levels above him why do you [48:53] why do you believe that why do you see that well like i said i like lando uh uh zander i always like [48:58] the zander style like the way he box i like the way he fight and zander he have a lot in the heart [49:04] man anytime you're taking a fight with boots and don't care you know i mean who he is or nothing [49:09] like that you know i i respect him for that you know you know like i said uh boost is on another [49:16] level see but you you haven't seen everything that boots can do nobody never bring it out if zander [49:22] bring it out of boots uh me and our committee on that that's what i want i want him to bring it out of [49:27] boots make him go to another level he never went to another level yet you said uh it's now your second [49:34] camp with boots fighting at the 154 pound limit uh you were talking to us this week about how hey [49:40] he's fighting and beating and hurting big guys he's knocking out heavyweights see boots have to [49:46] spar bigger guys man he had to spar bigger guys that's why when zander was saying that uh boots was [49:52] a bully you know i mean now he's the bully now he said because he's bigger than boots right all right [49:58] boots been sparring big guys light heavyweights and heavyweights and stopping them so i mean that [50:05] weight that don't mean nothing zander can be a little bigger than boots he's got to make a [50:09] difference he's going to see saturday night all right thank you bozi we'll turn over to javier [50:15] centeno javier when we were here a couple of months ago uh when it was announced you told me that [50:21] zander came to you and explained how he would win this fight how have those preparations gone and are [50:28] you seeing that path to victory preparations have gone well um and you know we stay true to you know [50:35] what we mentioned before you know we see certain things that we can take advantage of and of course [50:39] i won't mention them here but um uh you know zander is the type of you know fighter that will go in [50:45] there and and you know stay composed and and look for those openings that we need to take advantage of [50:50] and things that we've discussed in in camp you've been on an incredible run over the last year titles [50:56] in both of your last two fights but have you seen anything different in zander's he's preparing for the [51:01] the biggest fight of his pro career absolutely you know the hunger the hunger is always there but you [51:05] know this camp has been uh you know quite different in that you know he he he sees that light at the [51:10] end of the tunnel you know and this is this is he knows that this is the fight that's going to take [51:14] him over the top you know he's he's a major star in puerto rico right now but this fight you know makes [51:19] him a major star worldwide you're not going to reveal your game plan obviously but you just heard bozi [51:25] say if zander comes forward he's getting knocked out it's going to be an early night uh what do you say to that [51:31] yeah well you know i mean that's that's easy to say but um you know we're gonna you know we're [51:35] gonna go in there as a team and be smart be smart about this fight you had something out there bozi [51:42] no i was just telling me you know the way he was just talking i said just tell him to do it then tell [51:46] him to come on tell him to come on forward and see what happens remember like i only tell you like [51:52] let boost comes out uh let me finish talking boots fight inside and outside so whatever zander want to do [51:59] boots can do all right we'll see you saturday i will see you saturday that's for sure javier uh [52:11] what do you see as zander's path to victory what what do you need to do to beat jerron ennis again [52:18] we'll keep that you know to ourselves um and you know we'll just show it on saturday all right boots [52:24] we'll start with you over here on the left you seem to be having a good time here at this press [52:27] conference you enjoyed everything eddie had to say you threw your head back as your father was talking [52:31] kind of what are you feeling right now i mean i'm feeling great i'm feeling tremendous man it's [52:35] it's work time it's time to have some fun put on a beautiful show and make easy work you know come [52:39] saturday night what has this camp been like as you're preparing for this fight uh camp been tremendous [52:45] man i've been enjoying myself you know putting in all the hard work you know getting a lot of [52:50] different work with different guys and uh it just like campus is going to be phenomenal man i i just [52:55] can't wait to you know show my skills and my ability on saturday and show that we're around the best in [52:58] the world and become a two-time unified weight division champion like it's that time this is my [53:03] show your father said and we're just talking about how if he comes forward it ends early like how do you [53:09] think he's going to fight on saturday night to be honest i don't care how he fight it don't matter [53:14] what he do we ready for everything we have every style and camp so it don't matter whatever you want [53:20] to do we can do it so y'all know my slogan we end it all like a rabbit so that's what we're going to do [53:25] that's a two belt world champion career long or almost career long 154 pounder but you've said [53:31] all along i'm levels above him there's there's nothing he can do better than me why do you believe [53:35] that uh like i said before yeah solid fire you know world champion for a reason you know but it just [53:41] it just levels you know it's just levels and i'm going to show come saturday night and uh show my [53:46] skills in my building i just i can't wait yo i'm trying to tell y'all i cannot wait only a couple of [53:52] guys have gone the distance against you do you see this fight going the distance i knew my slogan [53:59] i know like a robbery me by winner by key yo all right xander we'll turn to you big chance for you [54:08] defending your titles you've been just excited about this opportunity sitting there a big smile [54:13] on your face how are you feeling just 48 hours before this fight man um first off i want to i want [54:18] to thank the zone top rank um match room i also want to send a message to venezuela they had a big [54:24] big earthquake um last night i got a couple friends out there so um i hope everything is good [54:28] if you guys need any help my heart is with you you guys can contact me and i will provide um any help [54:33] i can um with that being said man i'm excited i'm excited 48 hours man it's it's the dream is what [54:41] you've been dreaming of since since i was a kid since i was five years old wanting to be a world champion [54:46] wanting to be in big fights now i get to do it first pay-per-view parkley center new york i'm excited i'm [54:53] gonna take over the world like i've always been doing you know he's been saying that there's he [54:57] does everything better than you you've been pretty specific about the things that you do better you've [55:00] called him flat-footed you've called him the past kind of a weight bully there what are some of the [55:05] things that you believe you do better i think i do everything above everybody i i feel like i always [55:10] make the adjustments and that's what great fighters do um i'm not gonna sit here and take away credit [55:17] from what he is as a fighter he's a great fighter and i've always said it and saturday night i will prove [55:22] why i'm better than him you're obviously not going to reveal all your strategy here but what [55:27] do you got to do what what is the key to beating this guy be smart and have fun like i always do [55:31] be be smart have fun keep a smile on my face and break him down little by little how do you break [55:36] down a guy like this i'll show you guys saturday night boots do you think you can be broken down [55:43] excuse me what you say do you think you can be broken down by xander yo just make sure y'all [55:51] turn it on saturday night that's all i'm gonna say man uh uh all the fans supporters everybody's [55:56] gonna be in the building don't get up to get no food don't get up you know popcorn stay in your seat [56:01] and don't blink please don't blink oh my god xander you've said in the build-up you said boots has [56:09] been trying to bully you during this this promotion that he has no idea what he is walking into what do [56:15] you mean by that no i feel like he thinks it's gonna be an easy night and let him think that saturday night [56:20] i will come out there and i will do what i do at the highest level like i always do [56:24] i will make the adjustment like i always make them and i will come out victorious that's all that [56:28] matters to me you're the naturally bigger guy uh is is using that size going to be a weapon for you [56:35] everything is going to be a weapon um to me i'm going to use every advantage i can every advantage i [56:40] have every opportunity i have and and i will capitalize on it at the moment and and you guys will see [56:46] what a uniform world champion is and um on saturday night last two fights you've won those back-to-back [56:53] titles what are people going to be saying about you after this fight i'm the best 154 pound in the [56:58] world that's what it that's what it's all about legacy keep building the legacy keep building the [57:03] history keep building um um the the the resume and saturday night after the fight everybody's gonna [57:10] say i'm the best 155 54 pounder in the world so they saying the same thing about you after the [57:16] fight most definitely they going on saturday night i think i'm like man this this kid is amazing [57:22] they're gonna be like yo we've never seen nothing like it i feel like these guys can't do what i do [57:26] and they don't carry out how i carry it and i'm gonna show the world like it's just really like [57:30] there's really levels and on saturday night you will hear the words in the new unified wbo [57:37] wbo champion of the world drawing blue tennis do you think there's any possibility that he's right [57:41] that you don't know what you're walking into with this guy don't you he don't be making no sense but [57:48] whatever it will see saturday night mr i'm flat-footed like what like whatever but it don't matter we're [57:54] gonna see saturday night and all that stuff he was saying saying this in there we're gonna see saturday [57:58] night and i'm gonna show the world and him what i'm really about he gonna say straight like that i'll see [58:06] you saturday night 48 hours okay we're gonna see [58:16] all right we're wrapping up there we'll face these two guys off 48 hours away from the unified 154 [58:22] pound championship xander zayas defending his titles against boots and it's live here at the barclays [58:28] center and live worldwide on the zone we'll be back here tomorrow for the weigh-in and right back here [58:33] again on saturday night be smart and have fun those are generally good rules for any saturday night but [58:54] what do you think of that strategy for zayas sergio both these fighters held their strategy close to the [58:59] vest they didn't really want to reveal they were a little bit too responsible and gentleman-like i want [59:04] to see a little bit more more boldness from both these guys of course you wanted to see some more smack [59:09] talking i wanted to see these guys talk smack that's what makes a press conference interesting [59:14] not get physical not the pushing not the dumb stuff but the verbal stuff well this is what i'm gonna do [59:18] to you i'm gonna knock you out both these guys carry power both of them are excited i want to hear more [59:23] talk from both well that's the thing though boots he pretty much stayed off social media his entire [59:29] training camp he wasn't listening to any of the outside chatter maybe zayas did i don't know we we [59:36] haven't heard yet as to whether he was tuning in to what people were saying however if these guys both [59:43] just kind of stayed in their own lane their entire training camp and didn't listen to all the fodder [59:48] around the fight maybe they don't have a lot of ammunition however i want to get back to zayas and [59:54] what he was saying about his strategy other than be safe have fun he was holding it close to the vest his [1:00:00] game plan if you were him what game plan what approach would you would take would you take on [1:00:06] saturday night against boots that's a million dollar question and i would say it's going to be a hybrid of [1:00:10] both boxing and being on the front foot pressure because you're not going to be able to just do one [1:00:15] thing against a fighter like boots so if you could start off on the back foot believe it or not zayas on [1:00:20] the back foot everyone thinks this young kid's going to go mowing down trying to be physical and pose the [1:00:25] size of will the youth on boots i think do the opposite flip it on boots let him come to you [1:00:30] run him into the try to run into run him into some shots trying to be over offensive then maybe [1:00:36] still some rounds in the middle rounds and in the late rounds of course you're gonna have to show some [1:00:39] greatness if you're zayas what do you make of boots's journey to get here because that's one thing that [1:00:44] zayas did criticize he said he was fighting guys that were struggling to pay their child support [1:00:51] that's disrespectful for daddy but i would say that both these guys need each other they both need a [1:00:57] name on their resume i mean it's been a long time for boots to get recognized to be in this position [1:01:02] finally gets a young unified champion in zayas another unbeaten fighter so both these guys need [1:01:08] each other we're gonna find out who is the man at 154 and there's still another boogeyman at 154 so [1:01:13] they got a long mountain to climb before they can call themselves the pound for pound goods i know you [1:01:18] want to see a little bit more trash talking but how amped up are you tonight come on man listen i'm [1:01:23] i'm amped up because i'm in the east coast i'm a west coast guy i'm a mexican from the west coast [1:01:26] but i know the puerto ricans get lit i know philadelphia is going to be in the house in new [1:01:30] york brooklyn it's going to be on i can't wait this place is going to be exciting barclays [1:01:35] i fought here before i know how rowdy it gets so i'm excited the two words i've heard the most since [1:01:41] i've come aboard with the zone are where's sergio i'm right here you are right here you're going to be [1:01:47] back right here tomorrow because guess what we got tomorrow we got that's right we got the way in and look [1:01:53] once the weigh-in is done i say this all the time making weight right is half the fight one [1:01:58] once the fighters weigh in and they rehydrate then you get to see the real personalities because [1:02:03] that's the hard part the hard part is making weight the easy part is fighting saturday night [1:02:08] well we will be joined by malik scott and todd grisham as we make the fights official join us for [1:02:13] the weigh-ins live from brooklyn at 1 p.m eastern as the fighters make the sales and we complete the [1:02:19] countdown to xander zayas and jerron boots ennis thanks for watching everyone only undefeated until [1:02:27] you're not there can only be one king perfect records one unified title which prince will be crowned [1:02:52] king june 27th watch only on the zone