Yet Ennis has spent years in a peculiar purgatory—admired by insiders but unable to land the biggest names.
He shrugs off the criticism. "At this point, it really don't even matter to me," he said.
"As long as I'm doing what I'm supposed to be doing and that's winning and putting on a show and looking good, I don't really care what nobody say."
A Clash of Unbeaten Champions
Saturday's opponent, Xander Zayas, is a 23-year-old Puerto Rican prodigy who unified the WBA and WBO titles last summer.
The fight is one of the year's most anticipated, with both men unbeaten and aiming to dominate the resurgent 154-pound division.
Ennis was originally slated to face Vergil Ortiz Jr., but that fight fell through due to contractual issues.
He urged promoter Eddie Hearn to pursue Zayas instead.
"Once I figured out that we wasn't going to be able to make the Ortiz fight, I told Eddie: 'Yo, go get me Xander, please,'" Ennis said.
"He the next best option. He got two belts.
He got what I want."
Zayas has been hailed as a future standard-bearer for Puerto Rican boxing, following legends like Wilfredo Benítez and Miguel Cotto.
By taking on Ennis now, he chose a high-risk path. Ennis respects the decision but dismisses any notion that Zayas's youth is an excuse.
"You got to respect him for taking the fight," Ennis said. "You can't say he's too young.
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