Saturday, April 12, 2025

Boxing Challenge

    The boxing challenge is sparse this weekend, but the top bout is a big one with a unification fight that not only will leave the victor as the top fighter in the welterweight division but could see the winner emerge as a star capable of rising to higher weights for even bigger stakes.

Two welterweight titles will be unified (hopefully) on Saturday night in Atlantic City as Jaron "Boots" Ennis risks his IBF title against Eimantis Stanonis's WBA version of the championship.

Ennis's star has faded recently after two forced fights against Karen Chudhadhian. However, he's still a talented and unbeaten boxer who will finally face a top opponent willing to fight him.

Stanionis has fought only twice in the last three years, posting a split decision over Radhab Butaev and a unanimous decision over Gabriel Maestre. Much of his inactivity hasn't been Stanionis's fault, with three postponements against Vergil Ortiz.

This should be an entertaining battle with Sranionis ruggedly stomping forward against the longer, harder-punching Ennis.

The winner will stamp themselves as a star, and the loser will take a major step back to the world of contenders.

The co-feature will match former WBA featherweight champion Raymond Ford against Thomas Mattice at junior lightweight.

Ford, who won the title with a miracle final-round rush to knock out Otabek Kholmatov but lost it two months later to current champion Nick Ball by split decision, will be fighting for the second time since moving up in weight after the Ball loss.

Mattice has lost his biggest fights, including Isaac Cruz and Rocky Hernandez, and while he should make a good accounting of himself, he is a cut below the talented Ford.

Boxing Challenge

Unification WBA and IBF Welterweight Titles. 12 Rds 
Eimantas Stanonis vs Jaron "Boots" Ennis
Ramon Malpica and Vince Samano: Ennis Unanimous Decision
TRS: Ennis KO 10

Junior Lightweights. 10 Rds
Raymond Ford vs. Thomas Mattice
All: Ford Unanimous Decision

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