Ennis stops Zayas by technical knockout in seventh round at Barclays Center

Jaron "Boots" Ennis defeated Xander Zayas by technical knockout at 1:49 of the seventh round on June 28 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn. Ennis entered with a record of 36-0 and 32 knockouts; Zayas entered 23-1 with 13 knockouts. The 29-year-old Ennis, a Philadelphia native, improved to 37-0 while the 23-year-old Zayas fell to 23-2.

Ennis switched to southpaw midway through the first round and dropped Zayas twice with left hands. Zayas hurt Ennis with a right hand to the chin in the third round, but Ennis regained control in the fifth with a right to the body and left uppercut that produced the third knockdown. Zayas took a voluntary knee in the seventh round before his corner threw in the towel.

"It feels tremendous," Ennis said. " He added that his goal is to unify all four recognized titles at 154 pounds and said he is willing to fight Vergil Ortiz Jr. next. Zayas said he lost the fight fairly.

"He won like the champion that he is and I lost like the gentleman that I am," Zayas said. He declined to discuss moving up in weight, stating he wanted time off after the loss. Ennis previously held titles at 147 pounds.

CBS Sports reported the bout drew a partisan Puerto Rican crowd that booed Ennis after the stoppage.