Jaron Ennis-Eimantis Stanionis Tale of the Tape

By DAVE WEINBERG

What: 12-round fight for the IBF/WBA welterweight titles

Where: Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall

Coverage: DAZN

Jaron Ennis

Age: 27

Weight: 147 (prior to Friday’s weigh-in)

Record: 33-0, 29 KOs

Record in A.C.: 3-0, 3 KOs

Current ranking: International Boxing Federation champion

Hometown: Philadelphia

Best victory: Defended his title with a 10^th-round TKO over Roiman Villa at Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall’s Adrian Phillips Ballroom on July 8, 2023.

Worst loss: None

Keys to victory: Rely on the mix of power and boxing skills that carried you to the top of the welterweight division. Try to slow Stanionis down with a body attack in the early rounds, then take control later in the fight.

Ennis: “I’m definitely excited to fight at this iconic venue. One of my favorite fights to watch was Floyd (Mayweather) vs (Arturo) Gatti, (at Boardwalk Hall on June 25, 2006) and I’m excited about fighting in the same arena. Hopefully I can put a historic moment during this fight just like that. (Mayweather won via 6th-round TKO).”

Photo courtesy of Dave Weinberg for 973 ESPN

Eimantas Sanionis

Age: 30

Weight: 147 (Prior to Friday’s weigh-in)

Record: 15-0, 9 KOs

Record in A.C.: 0-0

Current ranking: World Boxing Association champion

Hometown: Lives in Lithuania, trains in Los Angeles

Best victory: Earned the WBA title with a dominant performance that produced a 12-round, split decision win over former champ Radzab Butaev on April 26, 2022 at Dallas’ AT&T Stadium.

Worst loss: None.

Keys to victory: Quiet the pro-Ennis crowd by taking the fight to him at the opening bell. Used the relentless, aggressive style that carried you to the title to frustrate Ennis and perhaps earn a stoppage late in the bout.

Stanionis: “I’ve never fought at Boardwalk Hall, but I know it was big-time back in the day. The crazy thing is I was supposed to live in Atlantic City. I came to visit in 2009 with my family while we were living in Philadelphia for a month, but we wound up going back to Lithuania. It’s unreal that I’m fighting here now.”

Dave Weinberg’s prediction: Ennis by unanimous decision