The undefeated Ennis (35-0, 31 KOs) moves up to 154 pounds after vacating his welterweight belts, and Algieri believes the extra weight could unlock an even better version of the Philadelphia native.
“The reports I’m hearing are about the boots in the gym, but I’m talking about the guys who saw it firsthand,” said Chris Algieri on Inside Boxing. “He’s cracking the ribs.
Algieri says that Ennis’ recent big success in training can be traced back to the fact that he no longer has to work hard until he reaches 147-pounds.
“A lot of it, I think, had to do with the weight. He was really hurting himself making weight at 147,” Algieri said. “He even said himself that he sees himself at 168 years old. Maybe that will be higher.”
According to Algieri, Ennis’ size always suggested that the welterweight would be a temporary stopgap.
“How big is this young man, and what does he do, he sacrifices where he is,” said Algieri. “We haven’t seen the best ‘Boot’ yet. We might not see the best of Boots until 60 or 68. Look at Terence Crawford. He got better as he got older.”
Algieri believes that many fans underestimate the burden that a long-time fighter can face.
“A lot of guys don’t understand what it takes for you to make weight. Twelve rounds is a long time,” Algieri said. “If you don’t get a guy out there at the start, having that extra weight can hurt you on the ground.”
He also pointed to Ennis’ athletic style as something that could be affected by the drastic weight cuts.
“But it’s also just a reaction, especially a guy like ‘Boots,’ who is active and likes to run.”
The accolade comes as the betting odds continue to increase in favor of Ennis despite Zayas coming into the fight with an unbeaten record of 23-0. Algieri believes the reputation of Ennis’ behind-closed-doors play could have an effect on punters and bettors.
“But I’ve been hearing bad reports, which is probably why the line is changing,” Algieri said. “The news is leaking, and people are crowding the gym, because the line is really open, really wide.”
While the sparring news has created excitement, Zayas is undefeated as a pro and enters the fight as the unified champion. The 23-year-old Puerto Rican captured the WBA junior middleweight title with a unanimous decision over Abbass Baraou in January before adding the vacant WBO belt with another decision win over Jorge Garcia Perez.
Critics argue that Top Rank has carefully matched Zayas since he began his professional career in 2019. Against both Baraou and Garcia Perez, he relied heavily on movement, striking, and grappling to limit their offense and control the pace over 12 rounds.
Ennis enters the fight with the advantages of strength, experience, and proven opposition. If reports from his training camp are accurate, June 27 could mark the arrival of a stronger version of the former United welterweight champion.
The Ennis-Zayas fight headlines a DAZN PPV card at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
Chris Algieri says Coaches have been telling him that Boot was picking on his teammates’ noses and ribs in camp preparing for Xander Zayas😳
The coaches I trust told me that he was destroying the boys and that they should just watch and wait👀-
🎥: @boxing_inside #Boxing #ZayasBoots pic.twitter.com/fp3FQlKm9R
— Pound4Pound (@Pound4our4Pound) June 17, 2026
