A few hours after becoming the youngest unified world champion in boxing, Xander Zayas flew from Puerto Rico to San Francisco to train for an even bigger event: the Super Bowl LX Halftime Show.
For the next week Zayas, who is signed to Bad Bunny’s Rimas Sports, had a first-hand view to the biggest act in music as Benito rehearsed and perfected his historic performance, an homage to the island that birthed both men.
Then, on February 8, Zayas made a cameo appearance about 90 seconds into the set, shadowboxing in a sugar cane field alongside Mexican light-welterewight Emiliano Vargas, a gesture towards the in-ring rivalry between Puerto Rico and Mexico.
“It was extremely amazing and beautiful to be a part of it,” Zayas tells Complex. “Now, looking back at it, it is something that I won’t forget for a long time.”
Zayas (23–0, 13 KOs) spoke with Complex a few days before the biggest fight of his career. On June 27, the 23-year-old from San Juan, who now fights out of Miami, will face Jaron “Boots” Ennis for the WBO and WBA junior-middleweight title at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn live on DAZN. According to Fanatics Sportsbooks, Zayas is a +450 underdog against Ennis, who is the more powerful and more experienced fighter.
Zayas, however, shrugs at the doubters. “I’m here to prove myself every time I’m in the ring,” he says. “It doesn’t matter what people say or what people think.”
And what will people be saying after Saturday night in Brooklyn?
“That Xander Zayas is the best 154-pounder in the world.”
When did Zayas start boxing?
Like most fighters, Zayas started young. He first put on a pair of boxing gloves at five years old, so he could defend himself from bullies. But it wasn’t until he was about 11 or 12 that he told his father that he wanted to be a professional boxer. Around this time, Zayas and his family moved from the Canterra neighborhood in San Juan to Sunrise, Florida. He would go on to dominate the amateur circuit, winning USA Boxing youth national titles at 110 pounds, 125 pounds, and 152 pounds. At 16, he signed with promotional powerhouse Top Rank and turned pro. Through it all, he had the support of his family and his team.
“It’s not so much about what I’ve sacrificed to get here, it’s more about the sacrifices of my people,” he tells Complex. “My sister not being able to celebrate her quinceanera when she turned 15 or my parents not being able to take a vacation because they had to pay for my travel or my coach. They had to be away for anniversaries because we were traveling for tournaments or fights. Those are the sacrifices that [matter]. I didn’t sacrifice. When you love what you do, it's not a sacrifice.”
The latest in a long line of Puerto Rican champions
Zayas joins a rich history of Puerto Rican fighters from Wilfredo Gomez to Hector “Macho” Camacho to Felix “Tito” Trinidad to Miguel Cotto, who was Zayas’ favorite fighter as a kid. He shares similar traits with the past champions. “A big heart, boxing skills, very technically [sound], and always trying to represent the country at the highest level,” Zayas says. But he is determined to forge his own path forward. “I don’t want to be compared to any of them. I want to create my own legacy and make people like me for who I am and what I bring to the ring.”
How did this fight come together?
After winning the WBA junior-middleweight title in a split decision over Abass Baraou on January 31, Zayas considered fighting 154-lb. IBF titleholder Josh Kelly or undefeated WBC super-welterweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. But both proposed bouts fell apart during negotiations. Zayas then pivoted. “We went to Top Rank and told them we wanted to fight Boots Ennis,” Zayas says.
Who is Boots Ennis?
Jaron “Boots” Ennis is a 28-year-old mauler who’d recently moved up from welterweight. In his first fight at 154 lbs. Ennis (35–0, 31 KOs, one NC) won the vacant WBA interim super welterweight title in a devastating first round TKO over Uisma Lima in October 2025.
Why fight Boots now?
“Why not now,” Zayas says. “I feel like as a champion, you should face the best guys and Boots Ennis is a name that is one of the biggest in the division. . . I’m here to fight the best.”
Though he is the bigger boxer, Zayas is not considered the more powerful boxer. Zayas is a boxer-puncher and relies more on his stamina, elite technical expertise, counter-punching, and body shots, compared to Ennis, a slugger who blends power punching with strong defense as you’d expect from a Philly fighter.
When did Zayas join Bad Bunny’s agency?
In 2025, Zayas signed a marketing deal with Rimas Sports, the firm co-owned by fellow Puerto Rican native Bad Bunny, in an attempt to land lucrative sponsorship, marketing, and promotional opportunities. Like most fighters, Zayas wanted to elevate his profile outside of the ring. Bad Bunny then posted videos celebrating Zayas’ recent title wins. But Zayas’ big mainstream breakthrough occurred at the Super Bowl halftime show before 70,000 people at Levi’s Stadium and over 127 million viewers at home. The set has since garnered 146 million views on YouTube.
What did he take away from his time with Benito?
“That we are all humans. He wants to be treated like everybody else,” Zayas says. “And he's very humble, very respectful, and he goes about his business the same way anybody else goes about their business.”
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