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Al Jazeera
13-04-2025
- Sport
- Al Jazeera
Ennis downs Stanionis to unify boxing's IBF, WBA welterweight belts
Undefeated Jaron Ennis has successfully unified boxing's IBF and WBA welterweight belts after stopping Eimantas Stanionis with a sixth-round technical knockout win during a bruising world title fight in New Jersey. In an explosive contest in Atlantic City on Saturday, Ennis prevailed after subjecting Stanionis to a barrage of savage body shots to be crowned the best fighter at 147 pounds (66kg). The 30-year-old Stanionis had started brightly, catching Ennis with two crunching overhand rights in the third round. But Ennis, 27, responded with a dominant fourth round, wobbling Stanionis with his jab while relentlessly targeting the Lithuanian's body. Ennis sent Stanionis to the ropes and down to one knee with a series of left-handed uppercuts and body shots. Ennis stumbled Stanionis with a big blow to the body right before the bell — and the Philadelphia fighter stared him down as he strutted to the corner. The seventh round never came after Stanionis's corner decided the Lithuanian could not continue. 'When I fight top-of-the-line guys, good guys, that's what you're going to see,' Ennis said. 'You're going to see a whole different me. When I've got a top guy and I'm fighting for something, it's a whole different story. Can't nobody mess with me.' Ennis soon covered his body in three championship belts. 'Is this what y'all looking for,' Ennis asked. Jaron Ennis was absolutely dominant against Stanionis and unified the titles in Atlantic City! 💥🔥#AndTheNew WBA welterweight champion @JaronEnnis 🏆🥊#WBA #Boxing #Boxeo #WBABoxing #EnnisStanionis — WBA Boxing (@WBABoxing) April 13, 2025Ennis, out of northwest Philadelphia and a rising star in the sport, was already the IBF welterweight champion and he took the WBA and Ring Magazine titles away from Stanionis. Ennis said in the ring following the signature victory he sorely needed to throw himself into the pound-for-pound conversation and that it was too early to decide if he would move up in weight class. Ennis, who improved to 34-0, with 30 knockouts, said afterwards he had been determined to 'put on a show' in what was the third defence of his IBF title. 'What's crazy is that I had a dream I was going to stop him just like this and it came true,' the American said in his ring interview. 'The biggest part was me having my fun, being myself and having a live body in front of me – I put on a show, I had my fun and I used my speed, power and defence.' Stanionis fell to 15-1 with nine knockouts following the loss. The 27-year-old Ennis has won eight straight fights overall and made four straight successful title defences since he defeated Ukrainian fighter Karen Chukhadzhian for the championship in January 2023. The 30-year-old Stanionis, who represented Lithuania in the 2016 Olympic Games, was elevated to full WBA champion in August when Terence Crawford vacated the WBA belt.
Yahoo
14-02-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
WBA hints at trialling 15 rounds in undisputed title fights
WBA president Gilberto Jesus Mendoza has suggested the organisation could approve a 15-round rule for undisputed title fights. Many title fights were previously scheduled for 15 rounds, before being cut to 12 throughout the 1980s. The rule change came amid fears over fighters' health, with studies suggesting boxers were more susceptible to damage after the 12th round. Kim Duk-koo's death in 1982, from injuries sustained in a 14th-round knockout loss to Ray Mancini, was pivotal in the rule change. The WBC quickly announced it would reduce title bouts to 12 rounds, and the WBA did the same in 1987. The IBF followed suit in 1988. In recent times, however, some fans have called for a return to the old set-up. Even WBO super-lightweight champion Teofimo Lopez has backed the old stipulation, saying on The Ring podcast: 'I have a question. Can we bring back 15-round fights? 'I don't know, maybe it's just something I'm curious about. When you're fighting for undisputed status, how about making those fights 15 rounds? Let's add three more rounds, and then we'll find out who the real champion is. "I think it would be symbolic, because it truly shows the significance of what we're fighting for. Plus, you're not taking a 3 per cent sanctioning fee, right? No fee, so why not add three more rounds for undisputed fights?' Gilberto Jesús Mendoza (@gilberticowba) commented on a Ring Magazine post where Teofimo López suggested to Douglas Fischer that it would be interesting to have undisputed world title fights contested over 15 you like the idea?#Boxing #Boxeo #WBA #WBABoxing — WBA Boxing (@WBABoxing) February 13, 2025 Mendoza later said on X (formerly Twitter): 'WBA may think about approving it in a trial mode, for certain high caliber opposition between the boxers.' The most recent undisputed title fight in boxing was October's light-heavyweight clash between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol. Unified champion Beterbiev won a controversial decision to take Bivol's WBA belt, and the pair will run it back on 22 February – returning to Riyadh, where they first met in the ring. Boxing's next undisputed title fight is expected to be Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez vs William Scull, on 3 May. Mexico's Canelo, who holds the unified super-middleweight belts, will aim to take the Cuban's IBF belt. If he succeeds, Canelo will become a two-time undisputed champion at the weight.
