When the 22‑year‑old prodigy from San Juan lit up Madison Square Garden’s Theater this past weekend as the headliner, it wasn’t just another win for Puerto Rico—it was history. Xander Zayas, born September 5, 2002, captured the vacant WBO junior middleweight crown by outpointing Jorge García Pérez in front of a roaring crowd, becoming the youngest active world champion in boxing. The judges’ tallies—119‑109, 118‑110, and 116‑112—confirmed what the audience felt.

On the heels of his big win, speaking to The Ring, Bob Arum, the legendary promoter who made the bold choice to sign Xander Zayas when he was only 16, dropped a heavyweight suggestion into the junior middleweight pool. “I think [Xander] Zayas vs. Jaron Ennis would be a terrific fight…Ennis is a really good fighter. That would be a major fight.” The 92‑year‑old Top Rank boss wasn’t stopping there, either. He revealed his roadmap for the island’s newest champion, adding: “I don’t know about the opponent, but I want to make his first title defense in Puerto Rico this winter.”

Fresh off unifying the IBF and WBA welterweight titles with a mid‑fight stoppage of Eimantas Stanionis in April, reports have revealed that Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is now officially moving up to 154 lbs, vacating both his welterweight titles in the process. Now 28, the Philadelphian wrecking ball boasts a pristine 34‑0 ledger with 30 KOs, making him one of the sport’s most feared young boxers.

The prospect of Zayas welcoming Boots into super‑welterweight waters is the type of clash that turns promoters’ dreams into pay‑per‑view gold. Youthful exuberance meets calculated destruction, Puerto Rico’s youngest champion squaring off with Philadelphia’s unbeaten juggernaut. For Arum, the vision is long‑term as much as immediate: “I think he’s gonna be champion…for a long, long time.”

But if Bob Arum’s dream pairing with Jaron Ennis felt like a glimpse of the future, the present already carries its own intrigue. The freshly minted champion is already lining up the next mountain to climb.

Xander Zayas makes a big decision after becoming the youngest current world champion

No sooner had Zayas lifted the WBO strap than he began setting his sights on fellow titleholders for a unification bout. With Sebastian Fundora—the 6’6’’ southpaw who defended his WBC belt against Tim Tszyu earlier this month—seeking a December opponent, the Puerto Rican prodigy wasted no time stepping forward. To BoxingScene, he declared: “Sebastian Fundora just fought last week. I heard he’s looking for an opponent [for his next fight]. I’m waiting and I’m ready to go in December.”

He went further, pointing out that timing had transformed the matchup from hypothetical into must‑see. “That fight will become much bigger… fighting for a world title and me only being a challenger, maybe that same matchup isn’t as big as two world champions fighting each other. So hopefully him beating Tim Tszyu and me beating [García] this weekend will mean a bigger fight in December,” Zayas had previously stated.

And if Fundora isn’t ready? Zayas sharpened his challenge while speaking to Bad Left Hook, quipping: “He shouldn’t have lost in the first place, he shouldn’t have left it vacant in the first place. That’s all I have to say. He know where to contact us.” Expanding his net, he added: “Whoever. I heard Bakhram is looking for an opponent, Sebastian Fundora, I heard wants his belt back, so anybody. … There’s no running now. I’m a world champion and I have what they want.”

The hook is clear: December isn’t just another defense date circled on the calendar—it’s shaping into a statement night. Can he win against seasoned fighters like Boots and Fundora?