Ennis Vacates Interim Belt Ahead Of Unification Bout

Jaron Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) has relinquished his WBA interim junior middleweight title without making a single defence, opting instead to pursue a full unification bout against WBA and WBO champion Xander Zayas (23-0, 14 KOs) on June 27.

The move earns Ennis the WBO’s number one contender and mandatory challenger status, upgrading the June 27 fight from a routine title defence into a two-belt unification at 154 pounds. Ennis moved up from welterweight in a bid to become a two-weight world champion. Zayas now offers exactly that.

At 23, Zayas has risen quickly to become one of boxing’s youngest two-belt champions. A victory over Ennis on June 27 would significantly bolster his standing in the division, taking him a step closer to becoming undisputed with a potential fight against the WBC junior middleweight champion Sebastian Fundora next for the winner.