IBF welterweight champion Jaron Ennis and WBA welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis will be battling it out in a unification bout on April 12 per Matchroom’s official announcement yesterday. The bout will be featured as the main event of a Matchroom card that will be staged in the United States at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey.
American IBF champion Jaron Ennis (33-0, 29 KO’s), like Lithuanian WBA-beltholder Eimantas Stanionis (15-0, 9 KO’s), is finally set to compete in an actual relevant fight that will truly determine the course of the welterweight (147 lbs) division for years to come.
Despite possessing a world title, Stanionis will enter the unification fight without a single title defense to his name since he was elevated to world champion―not counting Stanionis’ stint as WBA “regular” champion.
Ennis, in comparison, has had two title defenses against David Avanesyan (31-5-1, 19 KO’s) and Karen Chukhadzhian (24-3, 13 KO’s)―both in 2024.
Both fighters will be entering into the first unification bout of their career and will be putting their undefeated records on the line in the highest-stakes match they have ever competed in. With both the WBA and IBF welterweight titles on the line, the winner will be in prime position to be considered the best in the 147-pound division and can further potentially find themselves occupying a top 10 spot as a pound-for-pound fighter.
The varied styles of both fighters further sets the unification bout apart, identifying it as a sure-fire candidate for “Fight of the Year” depending on their performance.
Jaron Ennis, 27, is mostly known for his dynamic and creative style which is further supplemented by his power, making for a devastating offensive juggernaut in the ring at times. Though his defense has shown holes, particularly during his last fight against Chukhadzhian, Ennis’ experience fighting the Ukrainian twice may prove to be his saving grace against Stanionis given the Lithuanian utilizes a similar style as Chukhadzhian.
Eimantas Stanionis, 30, is better known for his heavy-handed pressure style of fighting, his affinity with body shots and a high-guard defense that has caused plenty of problems to his opponents. However, Ennis will be levels above any of the fighters Stanionis has faced before and as a result, the Lithuanian champion might face relative disadvantages due to his lack of experience against such fighters.
Overall, the bout has everything in the makings to be one of the most pivotal fights in 2025 and continues to help Matchroom set a precedent for competitive, must-watch fights.
