IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) is reportedly finalizing a unification struggle in opposition to WBA belt-holder Eimantas Stanionis (15-1, 9 KOs) in a Matchroom-promoted present on DAZN for April twelfth on the Boardwalk Corridor in Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey.
The Ring reviews that Ennis vs. Stanionis is near being finalized. Nevertheless, staging the struggle at Atlantic Metropolis is an odd location, as there are now not many boxing occasions there these days. It might make extra sense for the struggle to happen in Boots’ hometown of Philadelphia, however given how unhealthy he regarded in his final struggle in opposition to Karen Chukhadzhian, possibly it’s higher that it’s in Atlantic Metropolis.
Ennis’ Quest for Undisputed
Boots has taken a variety of flak from followers for rejecting a struggle in opposition to Vergil Ortiz Jr. at 154 in favor of staying at 147 to proceed engaged on his purpose of changing into the undisputed champion at welterweight.
Ennis, 27, has the correct promoter, Eddie Hearn, to perform his dream, nevertheless it nonetheless looks as if a waste. The three champions that Jaron must beat, Stanionis, Mario Barrios, and Brian Norman Jr., aren’t family names within the U.S.
Terence Crawford’s reputation soared when he defeated Errol Spence to turn into the undisputed welterweight champion in 2023, however he was a star. Boots received’t have that as a result of the three champions that he could be preventing are solely unknown to the informal followers.
‼️ Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis is now almost finalised for a WBA & IBF welterweight world title unification struggle on April twelfth at Boardwalk Corridor in Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey, The Ring has realized. pic.twitter.com/JM3dQa8xuT
— Ring Journal (@ringmagazine) January 19, 2025
“It’s about time Boots will get within the ring with any person,” stated Tim Bradley to the State of Boxing, scolding Jaron Ennis for coasting via his complete nine-year skilled profession with out preventing an A-level fighter. “He had loads of alternatives to get within the ring with many guys, Vergil Ortiz at that, however he selected to not.”
Boots Underneath Hearth
Jaron Ennis is coming off a poor efficiency in his rematch in opposition to his IBF obligatory Karen Chukhadzhian on November ninth on the Wells Fargo Heart in Philadelphia.
Karen made Ennis look actually unhealthy in that struggle, outboxing him and hitting him with potshots all evening; if not for Chukhadzhian gassing within the championship rounds, Ennis would have misplaced. If Hearn had swung a cope with WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr. for a unification struggle, Boots may have quickly prevented the Karen rematch. He’d nonetheless have needed to struggle, nevertheless it may have put it off and prevented having his inventory plummet to an all-time low.
On prime of all of that, Ennis made issues worse for himself by rejecting a career-high payday to problem Vergil Ortiz Jr. for his WBC interim junior middleweight title on the Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol 2 card on February twenty second in Riyadh.
That occasion will likely be proven on DAZN PPV, and it might have been a excellent automobile for Ennis to extend his star energy with only one struggle. Beating Vergil Jr. would have carried out way more to show Ennis into a worldwide famous person than for him to turn into an undisputed champion at 147 by beating three little-known champions. Is it worry on Ennis’ half or an absence of ambition that precipitated him to show down the struggle in opposition to Vergil Ortiz Jr?
I can see what promoter Eddie Hearn is up in opposition to attempting to show Jaron Ennis right into a star. Boots is making it onerous to show him right into a star together with his ham-handed strikes.
