Boots Ennis faces Stanionis in April 12 title clash

IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) will face WBA champion Eimantas Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs) in a two-fight unification clash at 147 on April 12, live on DAZN from Boardwalk Hall. in Atlantic City, New Jersey.

This is the unification fight that Ennis, 27, has been craving since he was promoted to IBF welterweight champion in November 2023. Boots needs an impressive performance in this fight, as he has 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 made him a headliner against interim WBC junior middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr. on next month’s Riyadh season card, the February 22, makes it even more critical that he shines against Stanionis.

Boxing fans think that Boots is a fighter who lacks ambition and self-confidence after being tutored twice by Chukhadzhian.

Stanionis is coming off a 12-round unanimous decision over Gabriel Maestre on May 4 of last year. He looked better in that fight than Ennis did in any of his last four fights.

“This is just a brilliant fight,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “When we signed Boots, I told him we would give him unifications, so it’s great to make this happen 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 a doubt the number 1 and 2 in the division.”