IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) will face WBA champ Eimantas Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs) in a two-fight unification clash at 147 on April 12th, live on DAZN from the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
Can Ennis Shine?
This is the unification match that Ennis, 27, has been pining away for since he was upgraded to IBF welterweight champion in November 2023. Boots needs an impressive showing in this fight, as he’s looked average in his last four fights against Karen Chukhadzhian x 2, David Avanesyan, and Roiman Villa.
You could say this is Boots’ first test, but after his last fight against Chukhadzhian, it’s hard to imagine a more brutal match for him than that one. He made Karen look like a mini-Artur Beterbiev with the way he was soaking up punishment from the Ukrainian fighter in their rematch at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia on November 9th.
If Stanionis is a better fighter than Karen, Jaron could lose this fight on April 12th and make Eddie Hearn regret signing him.
Ennis’ decision to turn down a bigger payday in a fight that would have transformed him into a start against WBC interim junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. on next month’s Riyadh Season card on February 22nd makes it even more critical that he shine against Stanionis.
Boxing fans think Boots is a fighter who lacks ambition and self-confidence after being schooled twice by Chukhadzhian.
Stanionis is coming off 12 12-round unanimous decision over Gabriel Maestre on May 4th last year. He looked better in that fight than Ennis has in any of his last four contests.
Hearn: “This is the #1 vs #2”
“This is a simply brilliant fight,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “When we signed Boots, I said to him that we would deliver unifications for him, so it is great to get this over the line for Jaron, and I know that with the biggest fight of his career right in front of him, he is going to shine brighter than ever. Eimantas is a brilliant fighter, and this is without doubt the #1 and #2 in the division.”
Stanionis is seen as #2 in the division, but WBO champion Brian Norman Jr. and WBC champ Mario Barrios could be even better. None of these guys have taken good enough opponents in the division to say who is #1 or #2.
Ennis has made up his mind that he wants to stay at 147 until the bitter end to try and become the undisputed champion, regardless of how long it takes. Some would argue this is foolish and slowing Boots’ career down, but the alternatives could be worse. If Ennis moves up to 154, he would have to battle the killers in that division, who hit harder and are better defensively than him.
“I feel great. I’m finally getting an opportunity to fight for a world title. As I was saying before I became champion, I never got the opportunity to fight for a world title,” said Jaron Ennis to YSM Sports Media, reacting to his unification clash against Stanionis being announced today.
“Now, I got my chance, and I’m about to unify and collect these belts. That’s what I wanted. I feel good; I feel great about it. I’m excited, and I felt I couldn’t leave the division without getting what I wanted.
“I feel like this is what I want. It’s going to be a crazy ride. I’m going to put on a show and go back to having fun and being me. I don’t know, and I don’t really care. I don’t pay attention to that kind of stuff,” said Boots when asked if getting this fight with Stanionis will quiet the critics.
