By: Sean Crose
IBF welterweight champ Jaron “Boots” Ennis will take on WBA welterweight champ Eimantas Stanionis Saturday night in Atlantic City. Expect the crowd at Boardwalk Hall to be pulling for Ennis, a native of nearby Philadelphia. This won’t be any tuneup for Ennis, however, as Lithuania’s Stanionis isn’t only a world titlist himself, but also an exciting fighter who has yet to be defeated. Strong and solid where Ennis is fluid and accurate with his punches, the the two make for an interesting ring pairing. While few would call this a mega fight, this is without doubt a fight of note.
“Them belts coming home,” Ennis said to DAZN after Friday’s weigh in. “It’s that time. I’m going to show the world I’m the best in the world. Make sure y’all tune in. Don’t get up and get no popcorn, don’t move, don’t blink, none of that.” Stanionis also exuded pure confidence. “I’m all in,” He said when asked to give a prediction on Saturday’s throwdown. The truth is that the welterweight division deserves this kind of energy. What’s more, it needs it. Long known as one of the top divisions in the world, the welterweight division has recently risked slipping into obscurity like the middleweight division recently has.
That will all change, however, should Ennis and Stanionis put on an impressive fight this weekend. Leonard, Duran, Hearns, Mayweather, and Pacquiao – are just a few of the legendary names that have ruled over the division. Without doubt, people naturally look for stars at 147. Even titlists who were not household names years ago, high end figures like Marlon Starling and Lloyd Honeyghan, gave the welterweight division a fine glean. With recent stars Terence Crawford and Errol Spence now removed from the welterweight division, there’s room for a new star to step in – perhaps even two.
The truth is that there’s a bit of a buzz about this fight. Ennis has long been seen as a rising star while Stanionis has proven again and again that he’s a force in the ring. While there’s little doubt that Ennis will be the favorite walking in, don’t expect too many people to be surprised if Stanionis pulls off the upset. With records of 33-0 and 15-0 respectively, Ennis and Stanionis are putting both their major belts and undefeated records on the line. In other words, this is a high stakes battle between two high quality fighters. In other words, a perfect Saturday night fight.
