Ennis contended after he stopped Xander Zayas in the seventh round of their 154-pound title fight that he remained in complete control amid what looked like the most adversity the two-division champion encountered during his 10-year professional career. The uniquely skilled, undefeated Philadelphia native dropped Zayas (23-1, 13 KOs) in the first, fifth and seventh rounds on his way to winning the WBA and WBO belts, but the third round was the first thing Ennis (36-0, 32 KOs, 1 NC) was asked about during his post-fight press conference at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

“No, I was chilling,” Ennis replied when asked if he was hurt. “You know, I was a little lazy on the inside, got caught with a good shot, but I was cool.”

A right hand by Zayas made Ennis stumble backward with just under 1:40 on the clock in the third round. Ennis immediately initiated a clinch, but referee Harvey Dock broke them up.

Zayas sensed Ennis was buzzed and continued to attack. Ennis instinctually fought back and traded with Zayas, who landed several additional flush punches, including a straight right that snapped back Ennis head with just over a minute remaining in the third.

With the crowd in a frenzy, Zayas slipped Ennis’ attempts to hold in the final minute of the round and continued to trade with him. The resilient Ennis dug to Zayas’ body and landed a hard left that knocked Zayas off balance with about 15 seconds to go.

Ennis was noncommittal when asked if that was the most trouble he experienced in 36 professional fights.

“I don’t know,” Ennis said. “I don’t know. I’m cool, calm and collected. When it’s madness going on, I just get calm, I get patient.”

Derek “Bozy” Ennis, Jaron’s father and trainer, grew impatient with the approach his son took during the third round.

“He was chilling,” Bozy Ennis said, “and I had to rinse some hot water on him and wake him up.”

Bozy Ennis wasn’t overly concerned, however, with what Zayas did during the final two minutes of the third round.

“I wasn’t worried about nothing that Xander had when it come to Boots,” he said. “I wasn’t worried about nothing at all. When he fights I don’t worry, man. I don’t worry at all.”

The veteran trainer did implore his son to focus more on taking out his hungry 23-year-old opponent.

“He like to have fun, though, and he gotta calm me down sometimes,” Bozy Ennis said. “He was getting a little lazy. He lays back sometimes [because] it be easy. You see he love to fight. He can box. You see the first round – how many jabs that boy got hit with?

“You know what I mean? He throw the right hand behind it and then he throw the left hook behind it, and just kept on jabbing him. He likes to play. He likes to have fun. I always tell him to have fun doing it, though, but get him outta there, though.”

Ennis’ vicious right uppercut in an exchange sent Zayas to the canvas with 1:23 to go in the fifth round. The former Ring, IBF and WBA welterweight champ bombarded the courageous Zayas with power punches after he barely beat Dock’s count.

Zayas’ toughness enabled the prideful Puerto Rican to reach the seventh round, but a sustained assault by Ennis sent him to one knee with 1:19 on the clock in the seventh round. Dock started to count again, only to wave an end to their bout because Zayas’ trainer, Javiel Centeno, requested it.

Ennis expressed respect for Zayas afterward, especially since he demanded a fight other junior middleweights were reluctant to take.

“Solid competition,” Jaron Ennis said. “Xander a great fighter. I hope he OK. … Whether he move up to [160] or stay at [154], I think he’ll be champion again.”