Undercard fights announced for Ennis vs. Zayas.
The unified super-welterweight championship will be on the line when the undefeated duo Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Xander Zayas square off on the 27th of June.
Ennis is a former two-belt welterweight titleholder, while Zayas is a current two-belt champion in the 154-pound division. Both are very skilled, and their meeting is an extremely anticipated one.
Last night, three fights were announced for the undercard, one of which features a step-up for a well-regarded British contender.
First up, Emiliano Vargas (17-0, 14 KOs) will be taking on Bryce Mills (22-1, 9 KOs) for the NABF, WBC USA silver, and WBO Latino super-lightweight titles.
Vargas is one of the three fighting sons of former two-time world champion Fernando Vargas, and of his brothers, it is likely Emiliano is the most promising.
In Mills, Vargas faces a young and experienced fighter who is actually something of an unknown quantity.
Next is Jahi Tucker (16-1-1, 7 KOs) vs. Euri Cedeno (14-0-1, 12 KOs), a fight for the vacant WBC USA, IBF North American, and WBO NABO middleweight titles.
Since a draw and a loss in 2023, Tucker has won six in a row, a run which includes a two-knockdown decision victory over Troy Williamson.
The Dominican Republic’s Cedeno is young and hard-hitting, but largely untested. We may know more by the time he faces Tucker.
But of most attention is the inclusion of Ben Whittaker (11-0-1, 8 KOs), Britain’s WBC silver light-heavyweight champion who bludgeoned Braian Nahuel Suarez in a round two weeks ago.
On this occasion, Whittaker will be making his United States debut, and he takes on Richard ‘Popeye the Sailor Man’ Rivera (27-2 (1), 20 KOs), a very interesting character who first came to attention after a controversial loss to Badou Jack on the Oleksandr Usyk vs. Anthony Joshua 2 undercard in 2022.
That was the last time Rivera featured on a major show, and he has since gone 6-1. Both Whittaker and Rivera are unique personalities in boxing, making them interesting opponents for each other.
For Whittaker, Rivera represents a very intriguing step-up in his first bout in America. And for Rivera, Whittaker represents a chance to prove himself and get more big opportunities.
Whether “The Surgeon” puts on a clinic or Rivera is strong to the finish, it’s bound to be a fascinating watch.
Three big fights added to June 27 🔥🔥🔥#ZayasEnnis | @DAZNBoxing | @trboxing pic.twitter.com/P0sdecccvI
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) April 28, 2026
Want to get the latest boxing news direct to your phone? Join our WhatsApp community by clicking here.
