Jaron Ennis and Eimantas Stanionis to clash in welterweight unification bout
IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis (33-0, 29KOs) is scheduled to fight WBA welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis (15-0, 9KOs) at the Boardwalk hall stadium in Atlantic city, live on DAZN.
Both fighters’ championships will be put on the line in the upcoming matchup. The winner to be crowned as the unified champion of the division.
Tale of the tape: Jaron Ennis
Age: 27
Bouts: 34
Rounds: 118
KO ratio: 87.88%
Height: 5’10”
Stance: Orthodox
Alias: Boots
From: Philadelphia, US
Tale of the tape: Eimantas Stanionis
Age: 30
Bouts: 16
Rounds: 98
KO ratio: 60%
Height: 5’8”
Alias: N/A
Residence: Kaunas, Lithuania
Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis – The 27-year old ready to clear out the welterweight division
Winning 8 out of his last 10 fights by knockout, Ennis has had an impressive run in the 147 pound division, becoming a fan favourite in the process. Despite the Philadelphia boxer’s exciting style, It has meant that there is an expectation for knockouts whenever he steps into the squared circle, resulting in a more critiqued performance if he doesn’t do this.
In his most recent fight against Karen Chukhadzhian, Ennis won by unanimous decision. Despite the win, fans were unimpressed by the performance as, firstly, Ennis was defensively vulnerable to his opponents left hook throughout the bout and secondly, many believed it was a fight that Boots should have won by knockout. Ennis said that it was hard for him to train to the best of his ability for a smaller name, being Chukhadzhian.
Since the fight, the 27 year old has his eyes set on unifying the welterweight division and has said that he is confident that he will ruin his opponents plans to become undisputed.
Eimantas Stanionis – Can the 30-year old become the first-ever Lithuanian unified champion
Despite being inactive for 2023 because of a postponed fight with Vergil Ortiz, the Lithuanian bounced back in April 2024 against Gabriel Maestre, which he won by unanimous decision. He was crowned the WBA champion in August 2024 after Terence Crawford moved up to the 154 pound weight division to face Israel Madrimov.
The WBA champion now has the opportunity to earn the title as the first Lithuanian unified champion in the welterweight division on Saturday night.
Stanionis also has an extensive amateur boxing pedigree, winning 141 out of 160 total bouts.
Key Factors
Jaron Ennis, whose style many boxing pundits have compared to legend Roy Jones Jr, has shown the ability to overwhelm his opponents with his hand speed and athleticism.
Ennis’s last KO win came in July 2024 against David Avanesyan in a fight that ended in a 5th round stoppage. During the bout, Ennis was brought into a head to head fight, where both boxers fought on the inside, trading uppercuts and hooks. Despite being caught with left hooks throughout the bout, Ennis showed that he was a level above his opponent, defeating him a round earlier than former undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford, who fought Avanesyan in 2022.
Stanionis has a similar style to David Avanesyan, with both fighters being pressure fighters that throw hooks and uppercuts in close and rely on a high guard for defence. Therefore, Boots will be familiar to the Lithuanian’s fighting style.
Stanionis has an exceptional fitness level. Both his last two fights have ended in decision wins, so he has shown he can throw combination punches for 12 rounds without suffering fatigue and can overwhelm his opponents.
Despite not having a knockout in five years, the Lithuanian’s constant punch output means he is able to outpoint his opponents and impress the judges at ringside.
Stanionis will be travelling to the US, Ennis’s home country, which means the reception received may be hostile in comparison to the welcoming reception his opponent receives.
Betting Odds
1/4 Ennis
9/2 Stanionis
22/1 Draw
Fight Predictions for Jaron Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis
Ennis has shown the ability to go head to head against pressure fighters and overwhelm them with fast hand speed and exceptional power. This is reflected in his knockout to win ratio at 87%. Stanionis only has a knockout ratio of 60% which isn’t very high for 15 bouts.
Ennis warned Stanionis that if he comes forward aggressively, he will run into a rock. This suggests the pair will meet in the middle for an all-out war.
If the Lithuanian’s punches aren’t powerful enough to affect his opponent, Ennis will start to throw powerful combination punches to the head and body, eventually breaking down Stanionis. However, Stanionis has shown that he is very durable and hasn’t been visibly stunned behind his high guard yet.
Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis by Unanimous decision.
