Jaron Ennis takes on Eimantas Stanionis in a positive career move this Saturday night at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey, as he attempts to add the WBA welterweight title to his IBF strap in a Matchroom-promoted card.
DAZN screen Ennis vs Stanionis live.
Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) has long been touted as a future stand-out star, but he has been matched well and carefully to date. The Philadelphia man scored knockout wins against Sergey Lipinets, Thomas Dulorme and Custio Clayton thrust him into wider attention.
After becoming interim IBF champion, he was then upgraded to full champion, and celebrated by forcing David Avanesyan to retire after five rounds of their July 2024 meeting.
‘Boots’ was last in action last November, where he secured a points win in a rematch against Karen Chukhadzhian, in a clash that was more competitive the second time around after Ennis won all twelve rounds in their January 2023 original.
Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs) has only fought once in nearly three years. The Lithuanian took the WBA world title in April 202, taking a deserved split decision against Radzhab Butaev in Texas, and he was last seen last May, defending against the 6-0-1 Columbian, Gabriel Maestre, where he would win widely on the scorecards.
Prediction: Ennis will want to put on a show here, but Stanionis looks a tough nut to crack, and although I feel Ennis will win, he may need to go the distance to unify the division.
Ray Ford returns
On the undercard, Ray Ford (16-1-1, 8 KOs) continues his rebuild up at super featherweight, and he takes on Thomas Mattice (22-4-1, 17 KOs) over a scheduled ten rounds.
Ford lost his WBA featherweight title last June in a thriller with Nick Ball in Riyadh, which the Liverpudlian won via split decision. Ford returned and moved up a weight for his November 2024 meeting with Orlando Gonzalez, and promptly took a landslide points win over ten.
IN THE FINAL MOMENTS OF ROUND 12.
RAYMOND FORD HAS THE HEART OF A CHAMPION. pic.twitter.com/FH3Xv6ru8B
— Top Rank Boxing (@trboxing) March 3, 2024
Mattice was on a winning run of five bouts, but lost a technical decision in Mexico to Eduardo Hernandez last September, with the fight curtailed during round six due to a Hernandez cut eye.
Prediction: Ford should continue his comeback with victory, and he can do so widely on the scorecards.
Full undercard preview
Skakhram Giyasov (16-0, 9 KOs) will hope to be on a collision course with the winner of the main event, and the Uzbek welterweight can take a routine points win over ten rounds against Argentina’s Franco Maximiliano Ocampo (17-2, 8 KOs).
Mexican talent Arturo Popoca (15-0-1, 8 KOs) also sees action, and he can defend his WBC Continental Americas super bantamweight title by halting Christian Carto (23-1, 16 KOs) inside their ten round scheduled distance.
The only eight round contest is at welterweight, where Tahmir Smalls (13-0, 9 KOs) should see off Earl Bascome (13-1, 2 KOs) before the final bell.
💫 @iam_OmariJones back for fight number two this Saturday! #BootsStanionis | @DAZNBoxing pic.twitter.com/g9ipBlUhsL
— Matchroom Boxing (@MatchroomBoxing) April 8, 2025
In six rounders, Omari Jones (1-0, 1 KO) continues his education, and he can win early again at super welterweight against William Jackson (13-5-2, 5 KOs). Francisco Rodriguez (6-0, 6 KOs) can continue his perfect pro start by stopping Naheem Parker (5-1, 2 KOs) in their lightweight clash.
The sole four rounder is at super featherweight, and Zaquin Moses (2-0, 1 KO) can win early against Alex Pallette (1-3, 1 KO), who has been stopped twice in three defeats.
