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.
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.
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 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.
“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.”
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