IBF welterweight champion Jaron Ennis hunts the WBA title in Atlantic City

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This Saturday night in Atlantic City, New Jersey, Philadelphia boxing star and IBF welterweight champion Jaron Ennis (33-0 29 KOs) will face the WBA welterweight champion, Lithuanian Eimantas Stanionis, in a unification bout at the Jim Whelan Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City and broadcast live worldwide on DAZN. 

“I’m the best in the world in the welterweight division,” Ennis recently said in advance of the fight. “Whatever he does, I do better. I don’t think he’s watched my fights; I never get tired. It’s going to be a long night for him. It’s my belt and his belt. It’s time to claim the crown.”

Ennis has arguably been the most impressive welterweight in boxing over the past two years. Terence Crawford, who knocked out previously undefeated Errol Spence Jr. in July 2023 to earn the undisputed welterweight championship, has moved up in weight with a potential fight versus Canelo Alvarez, who holds the WBA (Super), WBC and WBO super middleweight titles.
 
“We’re going into deep waters,” said Stanionis. “They are building a superstar, but I am going to f**k up all their plans! He’s a good fighter, but we all have two hands and two legs. No one is unbeatable. I’m coming to fight; I’ll be standing all night that’s for sure.”

Camden, New Jersey-born Raymond Ford (16-1-1, 8 KOs) aims to become a two-time, two-weight world champion when he faces Thomas Mattice for the WBA Continental North America Super-Featherweight title. Other local fighters on the card include Atlantic City’s Francisco Rodriguez taking on Camden’s Naheem Parker, Philadelphia’s Tahmir Smalls battling Earl Bascome, and Newark, New Jersey’s Zaquin Moses taking on Alex Palette.

Boxing will see arguably the most ambitious fight weekend in years beginning on Friday, May 2, with a tripleheader in Times Square featuring Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KOs) battling Rolando Romero (16-2, 13 KOs) for the WBA Welterweight title, Devin Haney (31-0, 15 KOs) taking on Jose Carlos Ramirez (29-2, 18 KOs) and WBO Super Lightweight Champion Teofimo Lopez taking on battle Arnold Barboza Jr. (32-0, 11 KOs).

The next day, Mexican superstar Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) will face IBF super middleweight champion William Scull (23-0, 9 KOs) in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Finally, undisputed junior featherweight champion and Japanese superstar Naoya Inoue (29-0, 26 KOs) will defend his title against Ramon Cardenas  (26-1, 14 KOs) in Las Vegas.