Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis and Eimantas Stanionis will clash in a blockbuster unification battle for the IBF, WBA and Ring Magazine world welterweight titles at the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City on Saturday April 12, live worldwide on DAZN.
Ennis (33-0 29 KOs) puts his IBF strap on the line for the third time in his third fight under Eddie Hearn and Matchroom, with his previous defenses seeing the Philadelphia star thrill his hometown fans at Wells Fargo Center, first by forcing David Avanesyan to retire after five rounds of his first defense in July and then outpointing mandatory challenger Karen Chukhadzhian in November.
Stanionis (15-0 9 KOs) made a welcome return to the ring in April with victory over Gabriel Maestre in Las Vegas in May, outpointing the Venezuelan in Las Vegas to retain the WBA regular title that he won back in April 2022 in Texas against Radzhab Butaev. The 30-year-old, who represented Lithuania in the 2016 Olympic Games, was elevated to full champion in August when Terence Crawford vacated the WBA belt.
Both Ennis and Stanionis have been searching for unification bouts since landing their titles, and now the pair clash with the Ring Magazine title also on the line at a venue that has hosted the very best fighters on the planet.
“This is the fight I’ve been waiting for,” said Ennis. “I believe I was made for moments like this and on April 12 I will be making a big statement and you will see the very best of me. It’s time to shine, be great and collect those belts.”
"This is it—the moment I've been envisioning my entire life!” Said Stanionis. “Every sacrifice, every ounce of sweat, it's all been for this fight. Jaron 'Boots' Ennis is a great fighter, but I'm ready to take him down. On April 12 in Atlantic City, I’ll show the world what I’m made of. This unification bout is my chance to prove I'm the king of the welterweight division, and there’s no way I'm letting this opportunity slip away. This moment is mine!”
“This is a simply brilliant fight,” said promoter Eddie Hearn. “When we signed Boots, I said to him that we would deliver unifications for him, so it is great to get this over the line for Jaron, and I know that with the biggest fight of his career right in front of him, he is going to shine brighter than ever.
“Eimantas is a brilliant fighter, and this is without doubt the #1 and #2 in the division, and I could not wish for a better fight to promote our first event in the storied Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City.”
Announcements on the undercard and ticket on-sale dates will be made soon.