Stanionis Slams Boots Ennis For Ducking

Eimantas Stanionis, the WBA Welterweight Champion, has slammed Jaron Ennis for not reaching out over a unification.
Ennis is coming off an IBF Welterweight Title defense against Karen Chukhadzhian. It was the second time he had beaten his man, overcoming him by a unanimous decision. However, the performance and the decision to pick Karen were heavily criticized. This is despite Chukhadzhian being Ennis’ IBF mandatory. Before the fight, Ennis was linked with a unification against the WBO Welterweight Champion Brian Norman Jr. Reports indicated that Boots’ promoter Eddie Hearn had offered Norman’s team $1.7 million. However, it is alleged that Norman’s team wanted $2.2 million as the fight never happened.
Ennis could have chosen to go ahead with other unifications in the welterweight division, Stanionis being one of them. There was also the opportunity to try and make a deal with the WBC Welterweight Champion Mario Barrios. Hearn refused to up the offer for Norman Jr.’s team, as the fight never happened. Ennis also saw talks break down with Vergil Ortiz Jr. over a 154-pound fight. That has created the narrative that Ennis is avoiding the big names. And given that Boots is entering into the prime of his career, he is not doing himself any favours.
Stanionis On Ennis
A Stanionis fight could have made sense. But Stanionis is a dangerous fighter. He is undefeated with a 15-0 record. Nine of his wins are by way of knockout. But he has not secured a knockout in his last four fights. His last stoppage win was in 2020, when he defeated Janer Gonzalez by a ninth-round stoppage. However, given that boxing often gets criticised for not making the biggest, Stanionis is trying to change that.
“Yeah, if he wants to stay at 147, I understand, but looking from the fence, I also appreciate him. When he [Ennis] didn’t take the fight [with Vergil], his people could have called us. I’d be jumping in. Nobody called us. If he wants to stay at 147, he’s supposed to fight other champions. I see with Teofimo, they might fight. I don’t know what’s going on. If he’s going to fight Teofimo, what does that tell you? That’s not 147, you know?” Stanionis stated
Stanionis has not boxed since beating Gabriel Maestre via a unanimous decision in May. He is targeting a fight on the Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach Jr. card. That event occurs in March, meaning Stanionis may be close to a year out of the ring before fans see him again. The Lithuanian is in his prime at 30. He has only boxed three times since 2021, meaning he is not the most active fighter. While Ennis gets criticised for not making the biggest fights, Boots remains active. He has already boxed twice this year. But Ennis must improve his resume.
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