IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) is reportedly finalizing a unification struggle towards 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 studies 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 will make extra sense for the struggle to happen in Boots’ hometown of Philadelphia, however given how dangerous he regarded in his final struggle towards Karen Chukhadzhian, perhaps it’s higher that it’s in Atlantic Metropolis.
Ennis’ Quest for Undisputed
Boots has taken loads of flak from followers for rejecting a struggle towards Vergil Ortiz Jr. at 154 in favor of staying at 147 to proceed engaged on his objective of changing into the undisputed champion at welterweight.
Ennis, 27, has the suitable promoter, Eddie Hearn, to perform his dream, however it nonetheless looks like 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 out to be 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 combating are totally unknown to the informal followers.
‼️ Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis is now practically finalised for a WBA & IBF welterweight world title unification struggle on April twelfth at Boardwalk Corridor in Atlantic Metropolis, New Jersey, The Ring has discovered. pic.twitter.com/JM3dQa8xuT
— Ring Journal (@ringmagazine) January 19, 2025
“It’s about time Boots will get within the ring with any individual,” mentioned Tim Bradley to the State of Boxing, scolding Jaron Ennis for coasting by means of his total nine-year skilled profession with out combating 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 Beneath Fireplace
Jaron Ennis is coming off a poor efficiency in his rematch towards his IBF obligatory Karen Chukhadzhian on November ninth on the Wells Fargo Middle in Philadelphia.
Karen made Ennis look actually dangerous in that struggle, outboxing him and hitting him with potshots all night time; 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 averted the Karen rematch. He’d nonetheless have needed to struggle, however it may have put it off and averted 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 can be proven on DAZN PPV, and it will have been a excellent car for Ennis to extend his star energy with only one struggle. Beating Vergil Jr. would have accomplished much more to show Ennis into a worldwide famous person than for him to turn out to be an undisputed champion at 147 by beating three little-known champions. Is it worry on Ennis’ half or an absence of ambition that brought on him to show down the struggle towards Vergil Ortiz Jr?
I can see what promoter Eddie Hearn is up towards attempting to show Jaron Ennis right into a star. Boots is making it onerous to show him right into a star along with his ham-handed strikes.

