Ennis, Stanionis to meet in welterweight unification fight
Undefeated world titleholders clash for division supremacy
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When undisputed champion Terence Crawford vacated the titles and moved up in weight it left a void at 147 pounds, where the identity of the No. 1 fighter was unclear.
Now that position is poised to be filled as IBF titleholder Jaron “Boots” Ennis and WBA counterpart Eimantas Stanionis, widely viewed as the top two fighters in the division post-Crawford, will meet to unify their belts as well as for the vacant Ring magazine title.
The bout, which has been expected for the past couple of weeks, will take place on April 12 (DAZN) at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Matchroom Boxing announced on Thursday.
It is in essence a home game for Ennis, who hails from nearby Philadelphia, where he has become a draw in recent fights, which means he will draw a crowd to Boardwalk Hall, which for many years hosted major fights on a regular basis but has not had one since the Bernard Hopkins-Sergey Kovalev light heavyweight unification fight in 2014.
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Ennis and Stanionis have wanted to unify and Matchroom Boxing’s Eddie Hearn, Ennis’ promoter, and Premier Boxing Champions, which represents Stanionis, were able to work out a deal for what will be by far the most significant fight for each fighter.
PBC and Hearn had previously made a deal for Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs), 30, of Lithuania, to face Matchroom-promoted mandatory challenger Shakhram Giyasov (16-0, 9 KOs), 31, of Uzbekistan, on a spring PBC card. But, according to WBA president Gilberto Mendoza, Giyasov agreed to step aside to allow the unification bout.
“This is the fight I’ve been waiting for,” said Ennis, who will make his third defense. “I believe I was made for moments like this and on April 12 I will be making a big statement and you will see the very best of me. It’s time to shine, be great and collect those belts.”
Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs), 27, of Philadelphia, gets the unification fight after having made a deal to face WBC interim junior middleweight titlist Vergil Ortiz Jr. on the Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol rematch card on Feb. 22 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, before backing out because he wanted the fight to be at welterweight when it was always contemplated as a junior middleweight fight that would have seen Ennis move up one division.
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Ennis said he was interested in moving up because it was getting more difficult for him to make 147 pounds, a reason he gave for his lackluster performance in a decision over mandatory challenger Karen Chukhadzhian in their Nov. 9 rematch in Philadelphia, but he elected to remain at welterweight and chase the unification bout.
Stanionis, a 2016 Olympian, will make his second title defense, having made his first (albeit of the “regular” title when Crawford was still classified as the WBA’s “super” titleholder) in a dominating decision win over Gabriel Maestre last May on the Canelo Alvarez-Jaime Munguia undercard in Las Vegas. It was Stanionis’ first fight after a frustrating 25-month layoff caused by two postponements and an eventual cancellation of a mandatory defense against Ortiz because of various health issues impacting both of them.
“This is it — the moment I’ve been envisioning my entire life,” Stanionis said. “Every sacrifice, every ounce of sweat, it’s all been for this fight. Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is a great fighter, but I’m ready to take him down. On April 12 in Atlantic City, I’ll show the world what I’m made of. This unification bout is my chance to prove I’m the king of the welterweight division, and there’s no way I’m letting this opportunity slip away. This moment is mine.”
Hearn was quite pleased to deliver the unification fight that Ennis has so badly wanted.
“This is a simply brilliant fight,” Hearn said. “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 No. 1 and No. 2 in the division, and I could not wish for a better fight to promote our first event in the storied Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.”
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Boots finally gets the step-up fight he needs. This is actually #1 vs #2 at 147, so the lineal crown is on the line. Whoever wins is the the Man, establishing a new lineage.
Boots took heat for not moving up to 154 but this fight has more historical significance (Virgil Ortiz doesn't even have a belt). Fighters that really care about legacy unify before moving up. Can't wait.
This is a great matchup we will see what ennis and stanionis are made of