WBA welterweight champion Eimantas Stanionis says he’s going to attack IBF champ Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis with body shots in their unification fight this Saturday, April 12th, on DAZN at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City in New Jersey.
(Credit: Matchroom)
Ennis’ Body Doubt
It’s going to be interesting to see how Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) reacts to getting hit to the body because none of the fighters he’s fought since turning pro have ever been headhunters. We don’t know if he can take it. If Boots gets stopped to the body, he can forget about his tired dream of becoming undisputed champion at 147.
Earlier today, Boots, 27, was talking crazy, saying that a victory over Eimantas will transform him into a “superstar.” It was a bizarre comment for someone who turned down a much bigger fight that might have turned him into a star against Vergil Ortiz Jr. on the February 22nd card.
Turki was offering big dough for that card. Ennis isn’t going to make that kind of cash fighting Stanionis, and it looks like he missed the boat.
“It was a good fight. I don’t take nothing from one not so good performance. It’s nothing. It happens to a fighter,” said Eimantas Stanionis to Fighthype when asked about his thoughts on Jaron Ennis’ last performance against Karen Chukhadzhian last November.
Eimantas is being kind by not dumping on Boots over the way he performed in his rematch with Karen Chukhadzhian on November 9th last year in Philadelphia. Ennis looked terrible in that fight, getting out-boxed, looking confused the entire fight, and coming close to losing.
“Since I was a kid, I’ve liked bodyshots because it hurts a lot more. I have people say,” said Stanionis when asked about the left hook to the body that he likes to throw. “These shots hurt more because I watched a lot of Mexican boxing when I was a kid. Chavez and Canelo were my favorites. You know how he fights. So, I do that.”
Stanionis is a good fighter, but he hasn’t fought anyone at the level of Boots before in his career. If he performs against him like we’ve seen him perform against the other fighters, Ennis’ hype machine will end on Saturday. Promoter Eddie Hearn will be glad that he only signed Jaron to a short contract rather than a long-term one that would leave him with this problem.
Mexican Influence
“The Mexicans are always going to war and going to the body. That’s what I like. Boxing is a really tough sport. You don’t know what’s going on and what can happen. It’s a very unpredictable sport. It’s going to be on the night. So, we’ll see on April 12th.
“Every fighter, I can stop. It goes both ways because it’s boxing,” said Eimantas when asked if he can knock out Boots Ennis. “I know I can do everything. I’m training hard, I’m focused, and I don’t have fear. I like competition. That drives me. I want to do what people think it not possible.”
