The Next American Star Fight Preview
Written by Greg on 6/26/26
Saturday 6/27/26 on DAZN PPV:
Xander Zayas vs Jaron “Boots” Ennis
10:50 PM ET/9:50 PM CT
Who’s Fighting:
Xander Zayas (23-0) is boxing’s youngest world champion, holding both the WBO and WBA belts. He is emerging as the next Puerto Rican star. He is charismatic, has the looks and he can absolutely box. Zayas is fundamentally sound and sneaky good footwork. He isn’t a big knockout threat but he has a solid amateur background and has proven he can go into the trenches and get the tough wins.
Jaron “Boots” Ennis (35-0) was the heir apparent to Bud Crawford… back in 2023. It is undeniable that Boots has all the tools to be an absolute superstar. We just haven’t seen it against anyone. His best win is against Eimantas Stanionis and his toughest fights came in twice against Karen Chukhadzhian. This is Boots biggest fight of his career as well. He should be poised to prove he is a top 5 fighter in the entire world.
Why You Should Watch:
The winner of this fight is the front runner to be the face of American boxing. Zayas has two belts, arguably the more tested fighter BUT he is only 23 years old. Did he bite off more than he can chew at this point in his career? Likewise, this is a pivotal point for Boots' career. We can no longer go off sparring stories from the gym about how great Boots is. He needs to prove he can put it all together on fight night and fight the top competition going forward.
Emiliano Vargas vs Bryce Mills
9:50 PM ET/8:50 PM CT
Who’s Fighting:
Emiliano Vargas (17-0) is the son of boxing legend Fernando Vargas. This kid looks like he could be a Wall Street high roller but he fights like a mean son-of-a-bitch. Emiliano seems to have all the boxing prowess with a great head on his shoulders. This should be another good step forward in his career to see how he is developing.
Bryce Mills (22-1) has never fought a boxer that I recognize. I can’t give you anything really. 22-1 looks good but not all 22-1 records are created equally.
Why You Should Watch:
We want to see Emiliano tested a bit by Mills here while coming away with a dynamic win. Ideally Mills pushes Emiliano into deeper water than we have seen him before and allows Emiliano to unlock something within him.
Ben Whittaker vs Richard Rivera
8:50 PM ET/7:50 PM CT
Who’s Fighting:
Ben Whittaker (10-0-1) is wild. He is a UK 2020 Silver Medalist from the Tokyo Olympics. He is regarded as a top Light Heavyweight prospect. He has become a social media sensation because of his dancing and doing the robot while beating the shit out of his opponents… Oh and he is 29 years old. His first time on the global stage saw him getting his ass kicked until he tackled his opponent out of the ring and pulled a Paul Pierce and faked an injury and got wheel chaired away causing the fight to be a no contest and getting the nickname Ben Quittaker. Since then he has put in some good performances but Whittaker is at the point now in his career where it is put up or go off and make Tik Tok dance videos.
I won’t pretend I am a Richard Rivera (27-2) expert. I have never seen him fight. I have heard other boxing experts mention that he is a good fighter and this is a big step up for Whittaker. One of Rivera’s two losses came against former champ Badou Jack
Why You Should Watch:
You are tuning in to see Ben Whittaker. Will he be the showboating, dancing boxer that the boxing purists hate to watch. Will he showboat and get pieced up like he did in his infamous no decision. Will Whittaker look absolutely dominant and propel himself into a fight with a top tier Light Heavyweight against possibly a Bivol, Beterbiev, or Benavidez.