Latest news with #JaronEnnis
The Independent
27-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Where is Josh Taylor positioned in the welterweight division?
This is Taylor's first fight at welterweight after consecutive losses to Jack Catterall and Teofimo Lopez at 140lbs. The 34-year-old will be hoping for an accelerated run towards a world title given his status as a former undisputed champion. First, he will have to get through a veteran welterweight in Essuman to establish himself in the division. With that in mind, we break down where Taylor is currently positioned at welterweight and who his obstacles to becoming a two-weight world champion are. Watch Josh Taylor vs Ekow Essuman exclusively with a DAZN subscription. . The kings of the welterweight division The welterweight division is currently topped by three champions: Brian Norman Jr (WBO), Jaron Ennis (WBA, IBF and The Ring) and Mario Barrios (WBC). Norman Jr, 27-0 (21), had his interim title elevated to full champion status after Terence Crawford vacated to fight at super welterweight in 2024. He has since defended his belt against Derrick Cuevas in March of this year and is scheduled to fight the number 2 ranked Jin Sasaki on the 19th of June in Tokyo. Jaron 'Boots' Ennis, 34-0 (30), is the unified welterweight champion, in possession of The Ring, WBA and IBF world titles. Ennis' interim title was upgraded in 2023 when Crawford was stripped by the IBF for not agreeing to fight the Philadelphia man as his mandatory. After defending his title by forcing David Avenesyan to retire, he had a unification bout with Eimantas Stanionis in April this year, claiming his WBA belt and the vacant The Ring championship. Mario Barrios, 29-2-1 (18), was also a beneficiary of Crawford vacating his welterweight titles, becoming a fully-fledged champion in June 2024. He has only fought once since, in a draw with Abel Ramos six months ago in Texas. He will defend his WBC title in a controversial fight against the 46-year-old Manny Pacquiao in July. Where is Taylor Ranked? With a well-established hierarchy in the welterweight division after the chaos of Crawford's departure, where is the Scot ranked as a welterweight? BoxRec have Taylor ranked at number four among the British welterweights behind Jack Catterall, Lewis Crocker and Harlem Eubank. Among the four major organisations, the former undisputed super lightweight champion has been ranked just outside the top ten with the WBO, the title he last held before losing to Teofimo Lopez, and the WBC, who both place him at number eleven. Although winning this fight could be the key to unlock world title opportunities at welterweight, Taylor is not looking past Essuman, admitting it will be a challenging debut at welterweight. Taylor told ESPN: "Get the win this weekend then I'm in the mix for some big fights at welterweight, but I'm not thinking about that because Ekow's a very tough test," he explains. He's tried and Commonwealth and British champion so I'll have my hands full."
Forbes
24-05-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
Josh Taylor Vs. Ekow Essuman Results: Fight Card Results & Scorecards
Ekow Essuman upset Josh Taylor's homecoming in Glasgow. Behind a steady right hand, poise, and superior cardio, he handed Josh Taylor a unanimous decision loss (116-113, 116-112, 115-113). Taylor looked surprised as the judges' decision was read, but his team didn't appear to share the shock, nor did the commentators on DAZN's stream. The judges got it right. Essuman was a bit out-boxed through the first third of the fight. Taylor's experience and pedigree were on display, but he seemed to gas midway through the fight and was only able to compete in spurts. Taylor's defense also seemed to betray him throughout the fight. Specifically, his left hand was consistently too low or too wide. It left openings for Essuman's right hand straight up the middle or around the lazy guard. Essuman rode these openings to the victory. Here is a look at how I scored the fight. R1: 10-9 | R2: 10-9 | R3: 9-10 | R4: 9-10 | R5: 10-9 | R6: 9-10 | R7: 10-9 | R8: 9-10 | R9: 9-10 | R10: 9-10 | R11: 9-10 | R12: 9-10 After Essuman's huge win, he asked for a title shot at welterweight. He could attempt to challenge Jaron 'Boots' Ennis, unless the IBF and WBA champion elects to go for a unification bout against WBO champ Brian Norman—or the winner between the latter and Jin Sasaki. In any case, we may have a new championship player at 147 pounds. As for Taylor, he didn't look great at his new weight class. With all due respect to Essuman, he's not on the level of Ennis or Norman. If Taylor is getting bested by Essuman, who is 36, there's probably not a practical path to a championship. The question is: can he accept that? Collins produced the best performance of his career against a major name in British boxing. Collins finished McGregor on the strength of a clipping right hand, which produced the first of three knockdowns. The second one came after a left hook to the midsection. McGregor got back to his feet—though he looked less willing than he did following the first knockdown. Moments later, Collins closed the deal with another hard body shot that doubled McGregor over in pain. The referee made the proper decision in stopping the fight immediately. Collins is perhaps on the cusp of challenging for a featherweight championship. He came into the fight ranked No. 4 in the WBC, and he seems like a great matchup for Carlos Castro or Brandon Figueroa, who are ranked No. 2 and No. 3, respectively. Itauma continues to impress. The 20-year-old heavyweight sensation improves to 12-0 with a devastating KO of Balogun (21-2) in the second round. Balogun had a horrendous defensive strategy, approaching Itauma with a low right hand. It was only a matter of time before the southpaw slugger began to connect with power shots. The first one landed in the opening round. Itauma dropped the American with a clubbing left hand that left Balogun lying flat on his face. To Balogun's credit, he got to his feet and finished the round. Balogun didn't cower after being dropped. He came forward, and his willingness to engage cost him. A huge right cross dropped Balogun on his back. There was no way I thought Balogun was going to get up—Itauma admitted he was surprised as well when the American got to his feet. Balogun didn't just get to his feet, he came forward with even more vigor. Well, that didn't work out well either. Itauma dropped him again with a destructive hook, and the referee made the right decision to stop the fight immediately. Balogun was trying to get up, but it was academic at this point. The 41-year-old had come crashing into his ceiling. Itauma will likely return to the ring in July, and perhaps he'll have his biggest challenge in December.
USA Today
12-04-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
What time is Jaron Ennis vs. Eimantas Stanionis? Ring walk time for boxing match
What time is Jaron Ennis vs. Eimantas Stanionis? Ring walk time for boxing match Jaron "Boots" Ennis is gearing up for a monumental clash with Eimantas Stanionis, a battle that will determine the unified welterweight titles. This highly anticipated bout is set to unfold on Saturday at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City. Ennis, the IBF champion, is known for his power and speed and boasts an impressive record of 33 wins, including 29 by knockout. He claimed his title against Karen Chuckhadzhian by unanimous decision in January 2023 and successfully defended it against Roiman Villa with a knockout in July 2023. In July 2024, he further solidified his status by defeating David Avanesyan by TKO and Chukhadzhian for the second time. Stanionis is currently the WBA "regular" welterweight champion and holds an undefeated record of 15-0 with nine knockouts. Stanionis last fought in May 2024 and retained his title after a unanimous decision victory over Gabriel Maestre. Here is the estimated ring walk for Jaron Ennis vs. Eimantas Stanionis on Saturday: More: Jake Paul, Logan Paul reality show will remind you of your own family. Well, sorta. When does Jaron Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis start? The Jaron Ennis vs. Eimantas Stanionis fight card consists of four fights and will begin at 8 p.m. ET on Saturday. The fight between Ennis and Stanionis is expected to start around 10:30 p.m. ET. However, the duration of the card will impact when Ennis and Stanionis actually fight. How to watch Jaron Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis The Jaron Ennis vs. Eimantas Stanionis fight can be streamed on DAZN. Date: Saturday, April 12 Saturday, April 12 Start time: 8 p.m. ET 8 p.m. ET Steam: DAZN DAZN Main Card start time : 10:30 p.m. ET : 10:30 p.m. ET Location: Boardwalk Hall (Atlantic City, New Jersey) Jaron Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis fight card Card information according to DAZN. Welterweight, for the IBF and WBA titles: Jaron Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis Jaron Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis Super featherweight: Raymond Ford vs Thomas Mattice Raymond Ford vs Thomas Mattice Light middleweight: Omari Jones vs William Jackson Omari Jones vs William Jackson Super bantamweight: Arturo Cardenas vs Christian Carto The USA TODAY app gets you to the heart of the news — fast. Download for award-winning coverage, crosswords, audio storytelling, the eNewspaper and more.
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Philly's favorite boxer 'Boots' Ennis is bringing a big-time bout back to Atlantic City
FILE - Eimantas Stanionis, from Lithuania, squares off against Radzhab Butaev, from Russia, during a WBA world welterweight championship undercard fight Saturday, April 16, 2022, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter, File) FILE - Floyd Mayweather Jr., right, of Las Vegas, Nev., hits Arturo Gatti of Jersey City, N. J., during the second round of their WBO World Super Lightweight title bout at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall Saturday, June 25, 2005 in Atlantic City, N.J.. (AP Photo/Mel Evans, File) FILE - Jaron Ennis gestures after defeating Karen Chukhadzhian in an IBF World Welterweight title bout Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, File) FILE - Jaron Ennis gestures after defeating Karen Chukhadzhian in an IBF World Welterweight title bout Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, File) FILE - Eimantas Stanionis, from Lithuania, squares off against Radzhab Butaev, from Russia, during a WBA world welterweight championship undercard fight Saturday, April 16, 2022, in Arlington, Texas. (AP Photo/Jeffrey McWhorter, File) FILE - Floyd Mayweather Jr., right, of Las Vegas, Nev., hits Arturo Gatti of Jersey City, N. J., during the second round of their WBO World Super Lightweight title bout at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall Saturday, June 25, 2005 in Atlantic City, N.J.. (AP Photo/Mel Evans, File) FILE - Jaron Ennis gestures after defeating Karen Chukhadzhian in an IBF World Welterweight title bout Saturday, Nov. 9, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola, File) ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. (AP) — Jaron Ennis noted one of his all-time favorite fights was the night Floyd Mayweather Jr. absolutely destroyed Arturo Gatti in a 2005 clash at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall. 'Boots' Ennis called Mayweather's decisive win a bit of an inspiration ahead of his own title fight Saturday night in the same venue. Advertisement 'I'm going to try and put on a historic performance just like that,' Ennis said. After two straight title defenses in his Philadelphia hometown, Ennis (33-0 29 KOs) defends his share of the 147-pound championship against Lithuanian fighter Eimantas Stanionis in the biggest fight to headline Boardwalk Hall in more than a decade. The 27-year-old Ennis has won seven straight fights overall and made three straight successful title defense since he defeated Ukrainian fighter Karen Chukhadzhian for the championship in January 2023. Stanionis, though not as highly regarded as a fighter as Ennis, has own share of the welterweight championship among the convoluted alphabet organizations that run boxing. 'You will get the fight of the year,' Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn said, with the usual hubris of any boxing promoter, 'and you will get it back at Atlantic City. At the historic Boardwalk Hall. This venue is iconic with huge fights, with huge names.' Advertisement Sure, rattle off the names and fights that once headlined cards in Atlantic City — Mike Tyson, George Foreman and Evander Holyfield, for starters — and Hearn isn't wrong about the city's proud spot in boxing history. The problem is, all those great knockouts and can't-miss pay-per-view fights are in the distant past as Atlantic City faded as a fight night destination. Boardwalk Hall hasn't held a major title fight since Sergey Kovalev beat Bernard Hopkins on Nov. 8, 2014, in a light heavyweight championship bout. Eleider Alvarez beat Kovalev and won the 175-pound championship by knockout at Hard Rock Hotel and Casino in 2018 in what can be generously described as the last big-time bout in Atlantic City. As Atlantic City casinos withered over the last dozen or so years, so did interest in hosting boxing cards. T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and Madison Square Garden and Barclays Center in New York host some of the biggest domestic cards while the true headline bouts — topped by Tyson Fury's win over Francis Ngannou in October 2023 — are held in Saudi Arabia. Celebrity bouts such as Jake Paul's win over a 58-year-old Tyson have become the rage and can pack 70,000 fans inside a football stadium, a number that crushes what Hearn expected would be a sellout crowd of 10,000 fans on Saturday night. Advertisement Mixed martial arts global leader UFC not only surpassed boxing as a weekend fight attraction, CEO Dana White is set to run a new boxing promotion as part of a business deal with Saudi Arabia. The first TKO Group boxing card will be held in 2026. Atlantic City has latched on to Ennis to try and raise a boxing revival in the city. Ennis was raised in the Germantown section of Philadelphia and was a Golden Gloves gold medalist as an amateur. He made his pro debut in 2016. Ennis headlined a card in July that attracted a surprising 14,119 fans to the Wells Fargo Center and his next bout in November at the home of the Flyers and 76ers saw that number dip to about 10,000 fans at the fight. Advertisement His last two fights were rather lackluster efforts, including a unanimous decision win in the November rematch over Chukhadzhian. 'I felt it was an OK performance,' Ennis said after the fight. OK isn't good enough for a fighter who has been vocal about wanting to fight Errol Spence Jr. or Terence Crawford. He'd also like a shot at Canelo Alvarez. Ennis also hasn't ruled out a move up in weight class to 154 pounds. 'Boots never went to another level yet,' his father and trainer Boozy Ennis said. 'I hope Stanionis can bring it out of him. That's what I'm waiting on. Then you'll see a different Boots.' Advertisement Ennis is at -600 to win, per BETMGM Sportsbook. Stanionis (15-0 9 KOs) has more than a championship to fight for on Saturday. His wife is pregnant and due any day — he guaranteed he would not leave Atlantic City until after the bout. Stanionis boasted against Ennis he would be 'all gas, no brakes.' 'He's going to run right into a rock,' Ennis said. ___ AP sports:
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jaron Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis fight time, ring walks for title unification
Two of the welterweight division's best clash this weekend in a title unification from Atlantic City. Jaron "Boots" Ennis, the IBF welterweight champion, faces WBA champion Eimantas Stanionis in a battle of unbeaten titlists which will see a new ruler at 147 pounds crowned. Advertisement Ennis and Stanionis have long been top contenders in the division and were each elevated from interim status to full champions in the wake of Terence Crawford's victory over Errol Spence in 2023's undisputed welterweight title showdown. Ennis has defended the IBF title twice since being elevated, but faces the toughest test of his title reign coming up against Stanionis, who defends his WBA strap for the first time. 'Ennis is slick, explosive, and they say he's the future of the division. That's why I signed the contract. I don't duck anyone - I run toward the fire," Stanionis told Matchroom. "This isn't going to be a chess match. This is going to be a war." Ahead of fight night, here's when the fighters are expected to enter the ring. When is Jaron Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis fight time, date This weekend's fight card, headlined by Jaron Ennis vs. Eimantas Stanionis, is slated to begin at 7 p.m. (CT) on April 12 on DAZN. Ennis and Stanionis are expected to make their ring walks for the main event at approximately 10 p.m. (CT). Advertisement Fight card start: 7 p.m. CT Ennis vs. Stanionis ring walks: approx. 10 p.m. CT Watch Jaron Ennis vs. Eimantas Stanionis on DAZN Jaron Ennis and Eimantas Stanionis pose on stage at Thursday's press conference ahead of their welterweight title unification bout on April 12, 2025 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. How to watch Jaron Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis fight This weekend's fight card Matchroom Boxing fight card can be streamed live on DAZN, at no additional cost to subscribers. DAZN is currently offering 30% off annual plans until April 14. How to watch: DAZN More: Next Caleb Plant fight on same card as Jermall Charlo in May | Report Who is on the Jaron Ennis fight card? Ahead of Saturday's title unification between Ennis and Stanionis, the undercard sees the return of former featherweight champion Raymond Ford and U.S. Olympic Bronze medalist Omari Jones in his second professional fight. Advertisement Jaron Ennis (33-0, 29 KOs) vs. Eimantas Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs); IBF & WBA welterweight titles Raymond Ford (16-1-1 8 KOs) vs. Thomas Mattice (22-4-1, 17 KOs) Arturo Cardenas (15-0-1, 8 KOs) vs. Christian Carto (23-1, 16 KOs) Omari Jones (1-0, 1 KO) vs. William Jackson (13-5-2, 5 KOs) Shakhram Giyasov (16-0, 9 KOs) vs. Franco Ocampo (17-2, 8 KOs) Jaron Ennis and Eimantas Stanionis sit on either side of Matchroom Boxing's Eddie Hearn at Thursday's press conference ahead of their welterweight title unification bout on April 12, 2025 at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, NJ. More: Main event announced for PFL World Tournament in Nashville Jaron Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis fight odds Jaron Ennis enters his first title unification as a -600 favorite to win, while Eimantas Stanionis sits as a +425 underdog to emerge as unified champion. The over/under is set at 10.5 rounds. Ennis by KO/TKO: +130 Ennis by decision: +110 Stanionis by KO/TKO: +1200 Stanionis by decision: +700 Odds via DraftKings, as of April 10 Where is the Jaron Ennis vs Eimantas Stanionis fight? Jaron Ennis and Eimantas Stanionis will square off in a title unification from Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey this weekend. Ennis previously fought in The Ballroom at Boardwalk Hall in 2023, a short drive from his hometown of Philadelphia. Advertisement Location: Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, NJ We occasionally recommend interesting products and services. If you make a purchase by clicking one of the links, we may earn an affiliate fee. USA TODAY Network newsrooms operate independently, and this doesn't influence our coverage. Harrison Campbell covers boxing for The Tennessean and high school sports for The Daily Herald. Email him at hcampbell@ and follow him on Twitter @hccamp. This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Jaron 'Boots' Ennis next fight time vs Eimantas Stanionis
