The most important unification in the welterweight division since Terence Crawford-Errol Spence Jr. is just days away.
IBF champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) will face WBA champion Eimantas Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs) not only for each other’s titles but also for the vacant Ring Magazine crown, which is held by the division’s best. This is by far the biggest fight for both fighters who have had a tough time locking down a top name or one of the other champions for one reason or another. Will this intriguing matchup on paper deliver on Saturday night when the two fighters are in the ring?
Is This The Moment We See “Boots” Take It To The Next Level?
The tale of Boots Ennis is one that has been told for a long time since he turned in splashy performances on Showtime. He has looked like the second coming of Sugar Ray Leonard while climbing the ranks, but a small percentage of doubt still lingered in the back of the fans’ minds about whether he could be that guy against the next level of opponents.
When Ennis met Karen Chukhadzhian (twice), Roiman Villa, and David Avanesyan from 2023- 2024, we all witnessed him earn the victory, but there was a thought that maybe he wasn’t the guy who would be the next welterweight king. Could the weight cut be getting to him, or was it that he was fighting down to his competition and wasn’t motivated to show off his talents? He finally landed a unification fight against Stanionis, an opponent that could be his toughest test. Ennis’ expectation level to look like a pound-for-pound fighter couldn’t be any higher.
Ennis’ approach on Saturday night has to be different than his previous two fights. Stanionis is a tough, sturdy fighter, and Ennis does not need to test that scouting report too much. Ennis could win this fight by keeping his distance outside of mid-range and using every bit of his 74” reach to land his jabs and follow it with a straight right hand or left. He could go in close and let off some big punches, but he has to ensure he doesn’t stay in there too long. Ennis could win this fight easily if he uses his feet, distance and a good jab without taking too many chances on the inside.
Stanionis Gets His Shot…Finally
The 30-year-old Stanionis from Kaunas, Lithuania, has been waiting for a big fight and will finally get it. His first moment was supposed to be against Vergil Ortiz Jr. in March 2023, but Stanionis had an emergency medical procedure that had to be done, which postponed the fight for a month. Then Ortiz had rhabdomyolysis, which caused the fight to get postponed until July and then ultimately canceled altogether due to Ortiz’s health. Since then, Stanionis would only fight once, a unanimous decision over Gabriel Maestre in May 2024. Now Stanionis gets his shot, which is not only for another title but the right to the top guy at 147.
With that being said, how does Stanionis win this fight? He has to keep the fight in close as Ennis can be lured into a battle on the inside. Stanionis has to dedicate his attack to the body early on so that those close encounters could open up some opportunities upstairs later in the fight. If Stanionis can get Ennis into a firefight, this would be the best chance for him to land something big and potentially hurt Ennis, who is known to have a lazy defense in spots during his fights. Patience will be key, and Stanionis has to avoid following Ennis around the ring.
Jaron Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis Prediction
This fight will be the toughest test of Ennis’ career as the number of fights at welterweight wind down to maybe one or two after this unification. Ennis will quickly realize that Stanionis is as tough as they come and will settle into boxing his way to a close but unanimous decision in Atlantic City on Saturday night.
JARON ENNIS VS EIMANTAS STANIONIS BETTING ODDS
Per DraftKings SportsBook, Jaron “Boots” Ennis is the favorite at -600, and Eimantas Stanionis is the underdog at +425.
Jaron Ennis: TKO/KO +130; Decision +110
Draw: +1800
Eimantas Stanionis: TKO/KO +1200; Decision +700
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JARON ENNIS VS EIMANTAS STANIONIS DATE, START TIME
- Date: Saturday, April 12
- Start time: 8:00 p.m. ET / 5:00 p.m. PT
- Main event ringwalks (approx): 11:00 p.m. ET / 8:00 p.m. PT
These timings could change due to the length of the undercard fights.
WHAT CHANNEL/STREAM IS JARON ENNIS VS EIMANTAS STANIONIS?
- U.S.: DAZN
- UK: DAZN
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