A trip to the hospital after fight night is not unusual for a boxer, and that was the case for Xander Zayas after his bout against Jaron “Boots” Ennis at the Barclays Center. The 23-year-old entered the fight with a chance to make history, but he instead endured a brutal beating in a thrilling contest that left him injured. While Ennis celebrated becoming the new WBA and WBO light middleweight champion, Zayas was transported to a local hospital after suffering the first defeat of his professional career.

“Xander Zayas was transported to a local hospital by ambulance strictly as a precautionary measure,” an X account named Ricardo Celis posted on the platform. 

For Zayas, it made sense that he was transported to a local hospital immediately after the fight. Though the contest initially lacked the necessary firepower, both fighters eventually abandoned any sense of defense and started swinging haymakers. However, ‘Boots’ looked far more lethal, with most of his punches finding their mark even during the heavy exchanges. Because of that, Ennis scored three knockdowns, with the final flurry sending Zayas to the canvas and forcing the referee to wave off the fight in the seventh round. 

After the loss, Eddie Hearn also addressed Zayas’ condition during the post-fight press conference, revealing that he was unable to attend because he had been hospitalized. 

“Boots will be here shortly,” Eddie Hearn said at the post-fight presser. “Xander has gone to the hospital. So I believe he’s following precautions, but he won’t be coming in until the press conference.” 

It will be a tough setback for the young Puerto Rican after suffering the first loss of his career, and that too in brutal fashion. Depending on the severity of the damage he sustained, Zayas could be out for several weeks and may also face a mandatory medical suspension of at least 60 to 90 days. Also, besides ‘Boots,’ Emiliano Vargas and Ben Whittaker also scored massive knockouts over their respective opponents at the Barclays Center. 

Now, after Xander Zayas’ crushing loss, naturally, the question becomes: What’s next? Well, Eddie Hearn has already cleared the air in that regard. 

Eddie Hearn reveals next step for Xander Zayas after first career loss 

According to Matchroom Boxing chairman Eddie Hearn, Xander Zayas and Jaron Ennis are expected to face each other once again. As Hearn revealed, the pair have a rematch clause in their contract, making a second fight a real possibility. At the moment, Zayas hasn’t seriously considered moving up to the 160-pound division.

“I mean, it’s not common knowledge, but Xander has a rematch clause,” Hearn said at the post-fight press conference. “I believe he’ll probably move to 160, but he said something interesting. He said in the ring tonight, ‘I didn’t struggle at the weight. Like, you know, I felt pretty good.’”

In that case, we’ll likely know more about the rematch once the Puerto Rican completes his recovery. However, Hearn sounded highly confident that his fighter, Ennis, would be even more prepared and even more dangerous in a second meeting.

“He might look back and maybe look at the third round and say, ‘I know, he’s got the right to exercise it’. But at the same time, he took a lot of punishment,” Hearn added. “And I think Boots will be much better next time, to be honest with you.”

That said, as the rematch begins to take shape, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say that ‘Boots’ will carry a mental edge over Zayas when they meet again. However, the 23-year-old can definitely bounce back from this crushing loss and try to reclaim the WBA and WBO titles.