WBA light heavyweight champion Eimantas Stanionis says his team never contacted Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis when he decided to turn down an offer to move up to 154 to challenge Vergil Ortiz Jr. for his interim title at the WBC tournament on February 22 in Riyadh.
(Credit: Mark Robinson/Matchroom)
Boots Dodging Unification?
Stanionis says it doesn’t look good that IBF light heavyweight champion Boots (33-0, 29 KOs) decided not to fight Vergil Jr. at 154. He heard that Ennis wants to stay at 147 and unify the division, so why isn’t he trying to fight him in unification?
Stanionis says he has NOT been contacted for a unification fight against Ennis, and now he’s hearing Boots could fight Teofimo Lopez next.
Stanionis asks what that says about Ennis. Philly Boots rejects Vergil Ortiz Jr. fight. at 154, and yet he doesn’t want to fight unification at 147. This supports the belief that Boots’ critics have about him. They see him as risk-averse, without ambition and only interested in winning fights against Karen Choukajian, David Avanesian and Royman Villa.
Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs) says he will be busy with his career and hopes to fight on the Gervonte Davis undercard against Lamont Roach on March 1 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. The event will be shown on PBC on the day Prime Video PPV.
“That’s what I aim for and hope for.” Well, we’ll see,” said Eimantas Stanionis ISM Sports Media about wanting to fight on the undercard of Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach on March 1st.
“We are here to prove who is the best.” I can fight at 140, 147 or 154. It doesn’t matter. Any three divisions. If I get the chance, I’ll jump at it. I want to be a comeback fighter, like when everyone fights every two to throw moons.
“I wouldn’t want to be in his shoes because after the fight (Karen Chukhajian) said he could go to 154 for the right opponent.” So I think Virgil Ortiz was the right opponent.
Ennis reportedly turned down a career-high payout for the Vergil Jr. fight. on February 22nd, and it makes it look even worse. If Boots is going to stay at 147 and fight Teofimo Lopez in the light heavyweight division instead of one of the champions, then his whole reason for turning down the Vergil Jr. fight. Then it becomes obvious to the fans that he lacked the courage to fight in fear of losing.
Stanionis: “Ennis could have called”
“So I don’t know what happened.” Eddie (Hearn) also said they could go to 154 for the big fight, Stanionis said of Ennis. “When they got the offer (for the Virgil Jr. fight), I don’t know what was in there. It doesn’t look good from the outside.
“Yeah, if he wants to stay at 147, I understand, but looking from the fence, I appreciate him too. When he (Ennis) did not take up the fight (with Virgil), his could have invited us. I would jump in. Nobody called us,” Stanionis said about promoter Boots Ennis never contacting his management about the unification fight.
Hearn needs to show the fans that he is making offers to other welterweight champions to fight Boots because it doesn’t look good that Stanionis says he hasn’t been contacted by Ennis’ team about the fight. Why would you lie about this?
If he says he hasn’t been contacted, it shows that Boots isn’t interested in the welterweight division and is just staying at 147 to hide from predators in the 154 division who would quickly destroy his career the same way Tim Tsziu’s career crumbled, losing his last two fights in the junior middle category.
“If he wants to stay at 147, he should fight other champions. I see with Teofim, maybe they will fight. I don’t know what’s going on. If he’s going to fight Theophilus, what does that tell you? It’s not 147, you know?” Stanionis said.
