Jaron 'Boots' Ennis made the biggest statement of his career Saturday night at Barclays Center, stopping previously undefeated Xander Zayas in the seventh round (1:49) to unify the WBO and WBA junior middleweight titles. The Philadelphia native, now 36-0 with 32 KOs, dominated from the opening bell en route to the defining win of his career.
The New York Knicks finished the 2025-26 season with a 54-28 record, locking up the #2 seed in the Eastern Conference behind only the Celtics. Behind MVP finalist Jalen Brunson and a loaded roster, Madison Square Garden is hosting playoff basketball deep into June for the first time in decades.
Xander Zayas entered Saturday night at Barclays Center with a perfect 23-0 record, but walked out with his first loss after a brutal 7th-round TKO at the hands of Jaron Ennis. The 23-year-old Puerto Rican star showed heart before the referee stopped it at 1:49. At just 23, his future remains bright in a stacked junior middleweight division.
Fight results, rankings, and analysis from the sweet science
36-0 (32 KOs) - Unified WBO & WBA Junior Middleweight Champion
89%
21.3
58%
2
36 Wins
#4 P4P
Career highlights
Jaron Ennis
TKO 7
X. Zayas
Ennis dominated from the opening bell, outboxing and outmuscling the previously undefeated Zayas at Barclays Center. After battering Zayas with combinations in the sixth, a flurry of unanswered punches in the seventh forced the referee to stop the bout at 1:49. The win unifies the WBO and WBA junior middleweight titles and cements Ennis as the face of the 154-lb division.
Naoya Inoue
Terence Crawford
Canelo Alvarez
Jaron Ennis
David Benavidez
Artur Beterbiev
Dmitry Bivol
Gervonta Davis
Shakur Stevenson
Jesse Rodriguez
2025-26 season stats, standings, and player profiles
29.1
7.8
3.7
49.2%
38.8%
25.4
Career highlights
| Player | Pos | GP | PTS |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jalen Brunson | PG | 76 | 29.1 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | C | 74 | 23.4 |
| Mikal Bridges | SF | 78 | 19.2 |
| OG Anunoby | SF | 71 | 17.5 |
| Josh Hart | SG | 76 | 11.2 |
| Mitchell Robinson | C | 65 | 7.8 |
| Donte DiVincenzo | SG | 78 | 12.8 |
| Miles McBride | PG | 74 | 10.1 |
| # | Team | W | L | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Celtics | 61 | 21 | - |
| 2 | Knicks ★ | 54 | 28 | 7 |
| 3 | Bucks | 51 | 31 | 10 |
| 4 | Cavaliers | 49 | 33 | 12 |
| 5 | Pacers | 46 | 36 | 15 |
| 6 | 76ers | 44 | 38 | 17 |
| 7 | Magic | 43 | 39 | 18 |
| 8 | Heat | 41 | 41 | 20 |
| 9 | Pistons | 38 | 44 | 23 |
| 10 | Hawks | 35 | 47 | 26 |
Jalen Brunson
Karl-Anthony Towns
Jalen Brunson
OG Anunoby
Mitchell Robinson
Key contributors powering the Knicks' championship run
23.4
11.2
3.6
51.8%
19.2
4.5
3.3
1.4
17.5
4.8
1.8
35.8%
The latest across the sporting world
With training camps opening in late July, analysts have identified five teams with favorable schedules and upgraded rosters. The Bears, Texans, and Falcons top the list of potential surprise contenders.
Shakur Stevenson put on a boxing clinic, outclassing his opponent over 12 rounds to earn a mandatory challenger position for the WBC lightweight title. The undefeated southpaw continues to impress.
Acquired in the offseason blockbuster, Mikal Bridges has been the glue holding together New York's 54-win roster. Averaging 19.2 PPG while anchoring the perimeter defense, his two-way impact has been critical to the Knicks' deep playoff run.