Matchroom promoter Eddie Hearn says IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis can’t afford to fight like he did in his clash against Karen Chukhadzhian last November when he takes on WBA champ Eimantas Stanionis this Saturday, live on DAZN at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey. That was the worst performance we’ve ever seen from Ennis, and you can’t call it a fluke because he’d looked almost as bad in the first fight with Karen.
(Credit: Melina Pizano/Matchroom)
Boots Under Pressure
Hearn wants Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) to “shine” in this fight with the unbeaten Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs) so that he can make a “statement” in their headliner. He blames Boots’ last performance against Chukhadzhian on him being “undermotivated,” but fans don’t believe it.
They think Ennis isn’t as good as the hype about him. He’d built his record fighting lesser guys, and when he stepped up against higher-rung fighters, he’s struggled. This is the last fight for Boots on his Matchroom contract. So, if he looks bad again, it won’t matter to Hearn. He’ll be out of his hair.
“You’ve got a massive fight this Saturday with Ennis against Stanionis. I’m absolutely pumped for this fight,” said promoter Eddie Hearn to iFL TV about this Saturday night’s fight between IBF welterweight champion Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and WBA champ Eimantas Stanionis at the Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.
Ennis-Stanionis is a good one. With the way Boots has been fighting lately, he could lose this fight on Saturday night if Stanionis takes the fight to him and can handle his pressure style of fighting. His last opponent, Karen Chukhadzhian, gassed out in the championship rounds last November and lost a decision in a fight that he was doing well in.
“I realize that I’m happy in myself when we’ve got a great show. So, I’ve been buzzing about Boots-Stanionis since it was signed, particularly over the last couple of weeks. There’s something special about Atlantic City. There’s something special about Boardwalk Hall, and there’s something about the best vs the best. That’s what Boots-Stanionis is,” said Hearn.
Ennis’s fight against Stanionis is a good one, but the promotion for the event has been horrible. Whether intentional or not, Hearn hasn’t been conducting many interviews to promote the event like he does with fighters he’s high on.
On social media, fans speculate that because this is Boots’ last fight on his multi-fight contract with Matchroom, Hearn isn’t putting much effort into promoting. If Ennis does leave, it’ll be interesting to see who he is signing with. There’s Top Rank, PBC, Golden Boy, and the TKO league.
“IBF, WBA, Ring Magazine. This is one of those fights that tells you unequivocally who the #1 in the division is. It’s what we want, and it’s such a brilliant style match-up. Stanionis is a beast. All action and tremendous workrate, and Ennis, for me, is a pound-for-pound fighter, but he’s under big pressure,” said Hearn.
It’s disingenuous to call Ennis vs. Stanionis “#1 vs. #2.” There’s still WBO welterweight champion Brian Norman Jr., who is seen as one of the best fighters at 147. To prove who the #1 fighter at welterweight is, the winner of the Ennis-Stanionis fight would need to fight Norman Jr.
All we can say is that the winner of Saturday’s fight between Boots and Eimantas is one of the two best fighters. Norman Jr. will still lurk out there and will be a massive problem for whoever wins this fight.
Hearn’s “Big Sell”
“He’s got to shine on Saturday night because if he performs like he did against [Karen] Chukhadzhian, maybe a little under-motivated, he’s going to have a very tough night against Stanionis. I believe this is the kind of fight where greatness will truly shine, and I believe Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis will make a statement on Saturday.
“I can’t wait for that fight. I’m so excited for that fight. It’s a massive fight for DAZN. No PPV. I’m over here giving it the big sell. It’s like poetry, isn’t it? It’s like watching Da Vinci putting something together. It’s Boots against Stanionis in front of 9,000. We’ll be sold out of the Boardwalk Hall,” said Hearn.
Last Updated on 04/09/2025
2025-04-09 22:28:28
