Jaron Ennis vs. Eimantas Stanionis: Tale of the Tape

Something has to give in Atlantic City when two unbeaten champions collide in a welterweight unification bout.

Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis is putting his IBF title on the line against Lithuania’s Eimantas Stanionis in the headline event, as both men bid to back up their claims to being the best in the 147lbs division.

Ennis is 33-0 with 29 knockouts and the Philadelphia-native comes into the bout as the clear favorite.

Not too long ago, Boots was chasing a showdown with Terence Crawford but he has since moved up in weight and is now rumored to be close to setting up a mega fight with Canelo.

Crawford’s move up has created a bit of a void at welterweight and Ennis is looking to fill it.

However, Stanionis looks a serious threat as he brings a 15-0 record to the table with nine stoppages, and he is Lithuania’s first world champion after being elevated to full WBA title holder back in August.

Ennis has height and reach advantages, and his knockout record suggests he carries a bit more power than the Lithuanian, but Stanionis is a well-schooled technician who has passed every test he has faced so far in his career and he will feel more than capable of pulling off an upset. 

Who will prevail? Let’s look at the 'Tale of the Tape'...

	Jaron Ennis	Eimantas Stanionis
Odds:	-500	+350
Age:	27	30
Nickname:	Boots	Jaunutis
Height:	5' 10"	5' 8"
Reach:	74"	68"
Weight:	Welterweight	Welterweight
Trainer:	Derek Ennis	Marvin Somodio
Record:	33-0 (29 KOs)	15-0(9 KOs)
Last Fight:	Win by UD v Karen Chukhadzhian (9 November 2024)	Win by UD v Gabriel Maestre (5 May 2024)

Jaron Ennis in profile

Jaron Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) enjoyed an impressive amateur career with silver and gold medals in the U.S. National Golden Gloves Championships in 2014 and 2015 before he made the move into the paid ranks in 2016.

Ennis won his first three fights inside the first round and eight of his first nine by stoppages. Then in 2020 he enjoyed a breakthrough year when he stopped Bakhtiyar Eyubov and Juan Carlos Abreu.

Those wins set up a shot at Chris van Heerden for the then-vacant IBO welterweight title, a title Van Heerden had previously held.

An accidental clash of heads resulted in a cut to Van Heerden and the bout was called off and declared a no contest.

Ennis picked up three more wins but had to wait until 2023 to get his hands on a belt at world level as he outpointed Karen Chukhadzhian for interim IBF honors.

The 27-year-old was elevated to full champion ahead of his July 2024 showdown with David Avanesyan, winning via fifth round KO, and he was last seen in November, beating Chukhadzhian on points for a second time in a rematch.

Ennis is an aggressive fighter who is constantly looking to land power punches, while he also has some impressive defensive skills that are occasionally overlooked.

The Philly fighter has his critics, however, with some suggesting his decision not to move up to 154lbs shows a reluctance to test himself against better opponents.

Strengths	Weaknesses
Switch hitter	Focus
Power	Can leave himself open
Footwork	Lack of directions from training team
Aggression

Eimantas Stanionis in profile

Like Ennis, Eimantas Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs) had some success in the amateurs with a gold medal in the European Championships in 2015 before he turned professional in 2017.

Stanionis scored a first round win over Rasheed Olawale Lawal on his debut and won five of his first six fights inside the distance before moving up in class in an eight-round affair with the 18-3-1 Levan Ghvamichava, winning on points.

The 30-year-old began to establish himself as a serious threat in the welterweight division in 2020 as he outpointed former world title challenger Thomas Dulorme.

He came up against former WBA welterweight title holder Luis Collazo later that year but the fight ended in a no-contest, due to a cut in Collazo’s right eyelid after an accidental clash of heads.

Stanionis spent over two years out of the ring after outpointing Radzhab Butaev in April of 2022 but a win over Gabriel Maestre in 2024 put him back in the mix.

He has been training in his hometown of Kaunas ahead of the showdown with Ennis, which he has admitted is the "biggest fight" of his career, and he will finish his preparations with Marvin Somodio in the US.

Strengths	Weaknesses
Pressure	Power
Technique	Has been inactive (just four fights since 2020)
Jab	Can be too predictable
Defence

Read Jaron Ennis vs. Eimantas Stanionis: Fight date, ring walk time, how to watch, undercard & odds on site.

Odds mentioned in this article were correct at the time of writing and are subject to change.