Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn spent time talking to boxing media immediately following Boots Ennis‘ big win over Xander Zayas. Fielding questions, Hearn reveals that Zayas has the option for a mandatory rematch if he so chooses, discusses Bam Rodriguez, Oleksandr Usyk, and more. Check out some excerpts of what he had to say below.
Hearn on working on plans for Boots next outing
“It’s not common knowledge but Xander has a rematch clause. So I believe he’ll probably move to 160 but it’s interesting, he said in the ring tonight, he said ‘I didn’t
struggle at the weight’. He might look back and maybe looks at the third round…
“He’s got the right to exercise it but at the same time he took a lot of punishment and I think Boots will be a lot better next time, to be honest with you because as much as experience he has in terms of fights, that was his first real moment in the madness and he’ll learn a lot from that. He’s only just turned 29.”
On comparing Boots to Bam Rodriguez
“I think they’re both very similar in the way they approach their fights. For example, Bam goes in the other week against Vargas and with all due respect and Vargas and Xander, they have no respect for them, really. They walk them down from the opening bell, stand in the pocket and just beat them up.
“But the result of that is really entertaining fights and probably take a little bit more punishment than the coaches would like. And Bam was the same, wasn’t it. I mean, he got hit a lot in that fight but he chose to get hit a lot in that fight so he wouldn’t give you a 12 round decision, so that he’d wear him down and stop him.
“So when you look at that P4P list, who are they guys that come out and fight like that? Who are they guys that make the casual fans go ‘what a sport, this is thrilling’ and that’s Bam and that’s Boots, and that’s Benavidez as well, not my fighter, but again, really exciting fighter to watch. And for me, I know that’s what the casuals want to watch.
“I know the purists will go ‘oh, well he got buzzed, he got hit too much.’ Yes, I know, but what you’re seeing is thrilling.”
On Usyk giving up his belts
“He’s earned the right to do whatever he wants. So he’s going to fight Wilder next, I believe, and that’s just the fight that he wants to take…I think maybe he’s realizing does he want to be put under the pressure of an order of a fight…Is he slipping? I don’t know, but I think he’s earned the right to do whatever he wants.”
On the potential for Bam vs Inoue
“We’ve had no approach about the Inoue fight, at all. So at the moment it’s just hearsay. Turki Alalshikh has mentioned it to me before but right now we’re planning a defense for Bam in November, December. So a unification for Bam unless we hear from those guys and they really want to do it, and Bam’s ready to move forward with that fight.”
