ATLANTIC CITY, New Jersey – The order didn’t matter to Jaron Ennis.
The undefeated Philadelphia native was primarily concerned with getting the three fights he needs in 2025 to become boxing’s second fully unified welterweight champion of the four-belt era. Ennis is sure, though, that he will encounter the No. 2 boxer in their division when he participates Saturday night in his first 147-pound title unification fight.
The Ring rates Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs, 1 NC) as the No. 1 welterweight contender in its top 10. Eimantas Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs, 1 NC) is ranked No. 2 on that list.
They will meet at Boardwalk Hall for Ennis’ IBF, Stanionis’ WBA and the vacant Ring belts. DAZN will stream their 12-round main event worldwide. Ennis-Stanionis undercard action is set to start on DAZN at 8 p.m. ET (5 p.m. PT).
Ennis explained to The Ring why he believes Lithuania’s Stanionis is better than WBC champ Mario Barrios (29-2-1, 18 KOs) or WBO champ Brian Norman Jr. (27-0, 21 KOs).
“My thoughts on Stanionis is he a great fighter, good fighter,” Ennis said. “I’m one, he two. It’s the best fighting the best. You know, it’s a great fight. It’s ranked the right way. I think he better than [Barrios and Norman]. I think he faster. I think he got a better IQ than those guys, too.”
Philadelphia’s Ennis, 27, took a lot of criticism last year for making a voluntary defense of his IBF belt against David Avanesyan and an oddly mandated rematch with Karen Chukhadzhian. He stopped Russia’s Avanesyan (31-5-1, 19 KOs) in the fifth round July 13 at Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, where he returned to unanimously out-point Ukraine’s Chukhadzhian (24-3, 13 KOs) on November 9.
Ennis’s defensive flaws versus Avanesyan and Chukhadzhian made Ennis, long touted as one of boxing’s elite talents, look more beatable than he appeared in previous bouts. He has assured detractors and supporters alike that he will start reaching his potential now that he is actively chasing championships in the welterweight division.
“I’m very happy it’s actually happening now, that I finally get what I want,” Ennis said. “And y’all gonna see, and I can’t wait.”
DraftKings lists Ennis as a 6-1 favorite. If he wins, Ennis wants to box Barrios or Norman next.
“I’m locked in on what’s in front of me,” Ennis said. “Imma handle what’s in front of me. You know, once I get Stanionis out the way and get the other two belts, then we’ll take it from there. But right now, my main focus is Stanionis.”
Stanionis, 30, will end an 11-month layoff when he encounters Ennis. He comfortably beat Venezuela’s Gabriel Maestre (6-1-1, 5 KOs) on points in his last fight, which took place May 4 on the Canelo Alvarez-Jaime Munguia undercard at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“I seen him fight before, but I didn’t watch his last fight,” said Ennis, whose father/trainer, Derek “Bozy” Ennis, does almost all of his film study. “He a good fighter. Throw a lotta punches, pressure.”
Keith Idec is a senior writer and columnist for The Ring. He can be reached on X @idecboxing.