Ennis dropped the previously unbeaten Xander Zayas three times before forcing a seventh-round stoppage to become a unified junior middleweight champion
Jaron “Boots” Ennis (36-0, 31 KOs) dismantled previously unbeaten Xander Zayas (23-1, 13 KOs) to become the unified WBA and WBO junior middleweight champion on Saturday night. Ennis scored knockdowns in the first, fifth and seventh rounds before Zayas’ corner halted the fight after the final trip to the canvas.
Zayas had his best success in the third round when he briefly stunned Ennis with a hard shot, but the momentum quickly shifted back as Ennis landed repeatedly with sharp counters and body punches to unify the WBA and WBO titles at 154 pounds.
Light welterweight: Emiliano Vargas (18-0, 15 KOs) dominated Bryce Mills (22-2, 9 KOs), crushing him by fourth-round technical knockout: Vargas delivered one of the best performances of his young career, systematically dismantling Mills before forcing the stoppage at 1:17 of the fourth round. After scoring knockdowns in both the third and fourth rounds, the unbeaten 22-year-old overwhelmed Mills with accurate combinations, prompting referee Ricky Gonzalez to end the contest. The win allowed Vargas to retain his NABF, WBO Latino, and WBC USA Silver titles while continuing his rapid climb through the 140-pound division.
Light heavyweight: Ben Whittaker (12-0-1, 9 KOs) beat Richard Rivera (27-3, 20 KOs) by second-round technical knockout: Whittaker overwhelmed the 35-year-old veteran with his speed and accuracy, flooring Rivera in each of the opening two rounds. After the second knockdown, referee Michael Griffin stepped in to halt the bout at 27 seconds of round two, extending Whittaker’s unbeaten record with another emphatic stoppage victory.
Middleweight: Jahi Tucker (17-1-1, 7 KOs) beat Euri Cedeno (14-1-1, 12 KOs) by 10-round majority decision: Tucker survived a stern test from the hard-hitting Cedeno to earn the victory by scores of 95-95, 97-93, and 98-92 in a fight that sparked debate over the result. Cedeno landed the heavier shots at times, but Tucker’s consistent activity and ring generalship persuaded two of the three judges. The win earned Tucker three regional middleweight titles and marked the biggest victory of his professional career.
Super flyweight: Juanma “Juanmita” Lopez De Jesus (6-0, 3 KOs) annihilated Alberto Motos (6-3) by first-round knockout: Lopez made quick work of Motos, ending the fight with a sharp straight left that landed flush on the chin. The bout was stopped by referee Ricky Gonzalez at 2:05 of the opening round, extending the 20-year-old prospect’s unbeaten record with his fourth knockout in six professional fights.
Super bantamweight: Dennis Thompson (11-0, 6 KOs) defeated Edwin Rodriguez (12-12-3, 5 KOs) by eight-round split decision: Thompson escaped with a hard-earned victory after Rodriguez refused to play the role of an overmatched opponent, forcing a competitive fight from the opening bell. The unbeaten prospect had to settle for a split decision after the judges scored it 77-75, 79-73, and 75-77, with Rodriguez’s toughness preventing the bout from becoming the showcase many expected.
Welterweight Quincey Williams (8-0, 6 KOs) defeated Jerome Baxter (8-3, 3 KOs) by eight-round unanimous decision: Williams delivered a composed performance against the toughest opponent of his young career, winning every round on all three scorecards by identical 79-73 margins.
